The undocumented immigrant sentenced last week to prison in Ohio for raping a woman with special needs alleged that he was possessed by a demon at the time of committing the crime.
The events for which German Mathews, 40, was convicted were reported on April 29, when the victim, 44, was walking to a bus stop in the city of Forest Park.
Mathews, who also went by the name Hernan Mateos, pleaded guilty last month to rape, criminal assault and kidnapping.
The Honduran man covered his face with a hood before attacking the woman.
The Hispanic man repeatedly hit the woman in the face and head, to the point that her hands were covered in blood, according to police authorities in Forest Park.
The victim was waiting for transportation when Mathews grabbed her, threw her over a guardrail, punched her, and raped her.
A witness alerted the police. When officers arrived at the scene, the man was still on top of the disabled woman.
The foreigner was sentenced to between 19 and 24 and a half years in prison.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers described the act committed by the convict as horrendous.
“This man harassed and brutally attacked a complete stranger. What happened to the victim is horrendous. “I am very grateful to the witness who called 911 and to the police officers who quickly responded to save the victim’s life,” Powers said at the time of the charges being filed, according to a WLWT report.
“Possessed by a demon,” alleges the defense
As part of Mathews’ defense, his attorney James Bogen testified that his client had stolen liquor from a convenience store and was intoxicated at the time of sexually assaulting the victim.
The legal representative added that the immigrant does not remember what he did.
According to Bogen, Mathews reacted horrified when he saw footage from a police body camera that captured part of the rape.
“He feels terrible for what he did,” the lawyer said in court. He added that the person who attacked the victim is not the German Mathews they saw in court.
Mathews allegedly told officers that, at the time of the crime, he was possessed by a demon, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Honduran was deported five times
Mathews has been deported five countries back to his home country.
The first time he entered the United States illegally was in 2005, and he was detained by the Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas, according to the Local 12 report that cites sources from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
Weeks later he was arrested in Miami, Florida, for driving while intoxicated and without a valid license.
After that incident, he was arrested three more times in the same city. The first, in 2006 for driving without a valid license; the second, in 2009 for disorderly intoxication; and in 2012, for sexual assault and illegal deprivation of liberty.
In the latter instance, it’s unclear why, but prosecutors did not seek a conviction. In July 2017, Mathews admitted to crossing the Rio Grande into Texas.
The next day, he was convicted and sentenced to time served (1 day), in addition to a $10 fine.