Brentwood man sentenced for rape of 18-year-old, DA says

A Brentwood man convicted of the rape of an 18-year-old woman whom he threatened to kill, along with her entire family, if she did not comply, was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison, authorities said.

Pelencho Contrera, 65, was convicted during a jury trial in June of first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and third-degree rape.

“I commend the victim for her courage,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “Her willingness to bravely come forward in court to tell her story allowed this defendant to be held responsible for his actions.”

Mary Peláez, Contrera’s Central Islip-based defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment. A previous defense attorney told Newsday that Contrera denied the rape. 

The rape occurred Aug. 6, 2018, after Contrera asked the victim, who was visiting family in the United States, to go to the supermarket with him, prosecutors said.

But authorities said Contrera instead drove the woman to the Sunrise Inn in West Babylon where he threatened to kill the victim, her mother and siblings if she did not do what he asked. Inside the motel room, Contrera then raped the woman, prosecutors said.

The victim was able to take a picture of Contrera with her cellphone after the incident, authorities said.

The woman returned home to her home in the Dominican Republic but came back to the United States nearly a year later to file a criminal complaint at the Third Precinct.

A Suffolk County detective went to the Sunrise Inn on July 6, 2019 and obtained the registration card with Contrera’s name on it from the date of the crime, authorities said. Contrera was arrested at his home the following day.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.