Vladimir Puentes, 51, is headed to state prison for 12 years after a Yonkers judge on Tuesday sentenced him for the violent robbery and beating of a 75-year-old man in a back alley off Riverdale Avenue near Radford Street on July 1, 2024. The attack left the victim injured and in need of medical care. Judge Robert Prisco also tacked on five years of post-release supervision and imposed a separate seven-year term for assault, to run at the same time as the robbery sentence.
The Westchester County District Attorney's Office said the 12-year term was imposed on the top robbery counts and includes five years of post-release supervision, with the seven-year assault sentence running concurrently. The DA's office announced the sentence on Wednesday, according to Daily Voice.
Guilty verdict after 16-day trial
Puentes was found guilty in October after a 16-day jury trial on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, and second-degree assault, Patch reported. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace condemned the alleyway attack as "despicable" and credited Yonkers police with quickly pulling together the case.
Attack and arrest
Court documents and prosecutors say the July 1 assault unfolded in an alley off Riverdale Avenue near Radford Street, where the 75-year-old victim was beaten and robbed, then required medical attention afterward. Yonkers police later identified Puentes as the assailant and arrested him following an investigation. Assistant District Attorneys Alexander Shapiro and Rachel Ehrhardt handled the prosecution, according to the DA's office, as reported by Daily Voice.
Legal details
The jury convictions on multiple robbery and assault counts carried significant prison exposure under New York law, Patch reported. With Judge Prisco's sentence now in place, prosecutors say Puentes will serve the 12-year term, followed by a period of post-release supervision.
