Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that a Leopoldo Belen (age 36), of Providence was sentenced to life in prison today for the April 1, 2014 sexual assault of his former girlfriend. In addition, Belen was ordered to have no contact with the victim, must undergo sex offender counseling, and is subject to lifetime sex offender registration and community notification should he be paroled.
Belen was found guilty of four counts of first degree sexual assault in April 2017 after a trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Daniel A. Procaccini.
During the trial, the State proved that on April 1, 2014, Belen physically and sexually assaulted his then-girlfriend in her apartment in Woonsocket. The victim testified that Belen got angry and violent towards her after they awoke and he discovered she has previously smoked their last cigarette.
The defendant dragged the victim into the apartment's bathroom where the assaultive behavior continued. When the defendant became distracted, the victim was able to flee the apartment.
After she was able to escape from Belen, she ran downstairs in nothing but a bed sheet, knocked on her neighbor's door, and once safe inside her neighbor's apartment, she called 911 to report the assault.
Belen was arrested later that day.
Woonsocket Police Detectives George McMann and Michael Flood led the investigation. Assistant Attorney General John Krollman and Special Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Ahern prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.