A 41-year-old Clewiston man has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison after sexually assaulting and burglarizing an elderly person’s home in Clewiston.
The State Attorney’s Office said Rafael Gonzalez Santiago was found guilty in December. It was a non-jury trial.
The crime happened in June of 2019, according to prosecutors. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Clewiston home by someone who learned of Gonzalez Santiago’s plan. Deputies arrived and saw Gonzalez Santiago fleeing the home.
He cut the power to the home and then entered, robbed and sexually battered the elderly occupant, prosecutors said.