You are reading

Long Island City Man Who Raped Woman in Sunnyside Sentenced to 12-Years in Prison

Matthew Luna (NYPD)

Aug. 20, 2020 By Christian Murray

A Long Island City man who raped a woman near Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside last year was sentenced to 12 years in prison, the Queens District Attorney announced today.

Matthew Luna, 27, who pleaded guilty to first-degree rape in January, sexually attacked a 20-year-old woman in the vicinity of Skillman Avenue and 54th Street at around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2019.

Luna attacked the woman after he following her on foot after she got off a bus in Woodside.

When he caught up to her, he asked the victim for directions to a nearby subway station. He then told the young woman that she was pretty and asked for a hug.

The victim, startled, backed away from Luna, who allegedly grabbed her arms and uttered. “Just give me what I want so I don’t have to kill you,” the DA said.

Luna then struck the 20-year-old, shoved her against a parked car, ripped off her clothes from the waist down and sexually assaulted her. He then threw her to the ground and raped her.

The woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for her injuries.

Luna was arrested three days, turning himself into police in a case that shook the neighborhood.

The defendant, according to the DA, surrendered after video surveillance and photos of him became widespread.

“It was a vicious, violent act that should never happen on our streets,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement.

Luna was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by 10 years’ post release supervision. He is also required to register as a sex offender.

Video released by police on Matthew Luna days after the rape

 

email the author: news@queenspost.com

Featured Events

Post an Event

View All Events…

No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News
NY Hall of Science debuts CityWorks, its largest exhibition in over a decade

The New York Hall of Science in Corona opened its largest interactive exhibition in more than a decade on Saturday, May 3. The exhibition explores the often invisible inner workings of the built urban environment.

CityWorks is housed in a 6,000 square foot gallery, and the exhibit was created by a team of NYCSI exhibit developers, researchers, and educators over the past five years. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the intricate systems and engineering that enable cities to function, including how they break, evolve, and endure.

Read More
0
Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.

Read More
0
Load More Articles