Man sentenced to 290 years for attacking several women, posing as ride share driver
DENVER — A judge sentenced a man to 290 years to life in prison after he posed as a rideshare driver and kidnapped and assaulted at least a dozen women.
John Pastor-Mendoza was convicted last October and was sentenced by a judge in Denver, Colorado, on Friday. Prosecutors say the crimes happened over four years.
Eight women who survived the harrowing ordeal of being kidnapped and assaulted by John Pastor-Mendoza gathered in solidarity as they faced him for the last time in court.
Pastor-Mendoza was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of 30 charges, including a dozen counts of kidnapping, seven counts of sexual assault, and 10 counts of attempted sexual assault.
Rachel Perry, one of the survivors, expressed the strength and resilience of the group. “He preyed on what he thought were weak women,” she said. “He found out we are not weak women. We are strong, we fought, and we fought hard.” Perry added, “My name is Rachel Perry, and I survived a monster. We all did, and today I feel like we got justice.”
Katie Davis, another survivor, shared the relief the sentence brings. “It means some peace of mind and a little bit of safety,” she said. “I think for my account specifically, he got 27 years, and I, you know it happened to me 5 and a half years ago and I’m still dealing with it.”
Erika Rinnert highlighted the importance of their unity. “It is so great to have these strong and powerful women with me,” she said. “I mean, you see us all standing like this. Like it I could not do this without all of them here.”
The arrest of Pastor-Mendoza was initiated by a tip from employees at a RiNo bar. In October, a jury found him guilty of the charges.
During the court proceedings, Juliana Garcia, another survivor, delivered her statement in both English and Spanish, Pastor-Mendoza’s native language. “Like a last a last punch from me,” she said. “Like you get to hear what I have to say about what you’ve done to all of us. He messed with the wrong girls. He did.”
Despite the overwhelming evidence, including DNA, Pastor-Mendoza denied the charges as he addressed the court, breaking down during his statement.
