After being found guilty of beating and s*xually assaulting a lady inside a Third Lake home, a man was given a 16-year prison term on Monday. Andres Leyva, 31, was charged with aggravated criminal s*xual assault resulting in bodily harm and criminal s*xual assault by force. He lives in the 200 block of Windjammer Lane in Third Lake.
On September 19, 2020, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a lady who had been s*xually assaulted. According to Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the woman told deputies that Leyva had s*xually abused her. Leyva allegedly beat the victim bodily during the attack, according to Covelli. The incident happened at a Third Lake house.
According to Covelli, the victim received medical attention for the assault. Detectives from the sheriff’s office arrived at the site and gathered relevant information. They discovered that the victim was acquainted with Leyva. On the same day of the attack, police detained the man. Judge Patricia Fix of Lake County found Leyva guilty on both counts—a Class X felony and a Class 1 felony—after a bench trial that wrapped up in late May.
During the trial, five state witnesses—including medical professionals—spoke. Leyva was cross-examined by Assistant State’s Attorney John Brown, and he acknowledged that the testimony he provided on the witness stand differed from the statement he made to detectives when he was first questioned in September 2020.
Since his arrest, Leyva has been detained in the Lake County Jail under a $300,000 bond. Fix removed his ability to post bond following the May verdict. Assistant state attorneys John Brown and Ruth Lofthouse stated that Leyva had a history of criminal behavior and was very likely to commit crimes again during a Monday sentencing hearing.
During the court, Leyva remained silent, but the victim—who was supported by friends and family—read a victim impact statement. Leyva had not accepted responsibility for his acts, according to the prosecution, and harsh punishment was required to discourage others from committing the same crime. Fix gave Leyva a 16-year prison term instead of the 10- to the 45-year maximum.
The man will serve his sentence at 85% and be given credit for 709 days spent in the Lake County Jail. Because of the survivor’s courage, the investigation conducted by the sheriff’s department, and the diligent work of our prosecutors and victim experts, said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, “This perpetrator will spend a significant period of time in custody.”
For more information like this, do visit lakecountyfloridanews.com
