A Marquette Park man sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend twice, took videos as he forcibly undressed her and threatened to post the recordings on social media, Cook County prosecutors said Monday.
Alejandro Pena, 23, and the victim broke up nine months before the Nov. 24, 2020 attack but had remained friends and had planned on hanging out that day, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
When the 21-year-old woman came Pena’s home, in the 7200 block of South Rockwell Street, he asked her to help him find his wallet in his basement bedroom.
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But once they got to the room, Pena allegedly pushed the woman on the bed and forcefully removed her clothes. The woman told him “no” and to “stop,” but Pena still sexually assaulted her, Murphy said.
Later that day, Pena straddled the woman and used his knees to pin her down, Murphy said. When the woman refused to give him oral sex, Pena allegedly struck her face and began to choke her.
Pena continued to make marks on the woman’s chest with his mouth before he forcefully undressed her, Murphy said. Then, he recorded the woman while she was undressed and threatening to “expose her” on social media, Murphy said.
Pena allegedly went on to sexually assault the woman a second time. Again, the woman told him “no” and to stop, Murphy said.
The woman called her current boyfriend after the attack and told him “something bad happened to her,” Murphy said.
When she got to her boyfriend’s house, the woman changed clothes and told him what happened. The woman had bruises on her waist, chest and wrists, Murphy said. Her wrists and lips also appeared swollen, according to Murphy.
The woman went to a police station, and eventually to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where a rape kit was administered, Murphy said. An X-ray of the woman’s wrist was taken as well as photos of her other injuries, Murphy said.
In the four videos investigators recovered, the woman can be seen telling Pena to stop, Murphy said.
Pena later told police in a recorded statement that he thought the woman was saying “no” to being filmed — not to the sex, Murphy said.
Prosecutors did not say Monday why it took over a year to charge Pena.
Pena’s attorney argued that the sex was consensual and noted that his client has been cooperative with police.
Pena was ordered held on $75,000 bail. If he is able to post bond, a judge recommended he be placed on electronic monitoring.
Pena is due back in court Jan. 31.
