Two teenage boys, Raymond Miranda, 15, and Ruben Melanson, 16, have been sentenced to 30 years in prison each for raping an 87-year-old woman and forcing her to drink bleach.
The boys pleaded guilty to the sexual assault on the elderly lady which happened in April, 2014, and will be moved to state prison from the California’s juvenile facility to a proper prison once they turn 18.
The boys were said to have attacked the woman at her home by entering through a window, before tying her up and sexually assaulting her.
The teens also physically abused the elderly woman, using knives and bottles to beat her and poured bleach on her body and down her throat. The abuse was so bad that when officers found the woman, she was not breathing.
She is still feeling the effects of the crime both mentally and physically, as evidenced by the oxygen tank that she needs to help her breathe.
15-year-old Miranda cried in court during his sentencing and begged the woman to forgive him.
“I’m sorry for going into your house. I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I apologize for going to your house.
I’m sorry. I truly am. I don’t expect you to forgive me.”
In response, the victim spoke directly to the boys in court:
“Now for the boys, I want them to look at me. I appreciate your apology.
I want you to look at me and remember me because when you broke into my apartment in April, you terrorized me and also you took away my independence. You did evil things.”
