ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – An Orland, Indiana man was convicted by a Steuben County Superior Court jury of all charges Thursday afternoon in connection with the June 2023 rape of a teenage girl near Lake Pleasant just south of Branch County.
The jury deliberated three hours before they convicted 31-year-old Jorge Juarez Lopez on two felony counts of Rape while Armed with a Deadly Weapon, two felony counts of Intimidation, and a misdemeanor count of Possession of a Counterfeit Government Issued Identification.
Jurors heard testimony from seven state witnesses during the four day trial. Lopez testified on his own behalf, and was the only witness called by the Defense.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 9. Lopez faces a sentence of between 20 and 40 years on the rape convictions and one to six on the Intimidation counts.
Lopez was arrested following a Steuben County Sheriff’s Office investigation. They were assisted by police from Orland and Angola, the Indiana State Police and the Indiana Department of Child Services.
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