WHITE PLAINS, NY — A Peekskill man was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in state prison for two sexual assaults in Westchester County, following a guilty plea that connected him to a 2021 rape and a previously unsolved 2018 attempted rape. The conviction was announced by Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah, who praised the perseverance of prosecutors and law enforcement officers involved in solving the cases.
Cristian Panza, 43, pleaded guilty in September to charges of first-degree rape and first-degree attempted rape. His sentencing includes 20 years of post-release supervision for the 2021 assault and 15 years of post-release supervision for the 2018 incident. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The 2021 case began when Panza, a mechanic, encountered his 20-year-old victim, whom he knew through his business, at a sporting event in Peekskill. Panza took her to a bar, where he bought her several drinks until she became highly intoxicated. Under the pretense of driving her home, he took her to Depew Park, where he strangled and raped her. The victim escaped and immediately reported the assault, leading to Panza’s swift arrest as he attempted to flee the area.
At the police station, Panza drank from a cup that was retained by officers for DNA testing. When prosecutors noticed similarities to an unsolved 2018 case, they requested a comparison between the DNA sample from the 2021 arrest and forensic evidence collected in the earlier case.
In the 2018 assault, Panza approached an intoxicated 39-year-old woman outside a bar in Peekskill. Posing as a cab driver, he offered her a ride home. Instead of taking her to her destination, Panza drove to a secluded area, where he climbed into the back of the vehicle, strangled her, and attempted to rape her. The victim managed to scratch Panza, escape the car, and run to a nearby residential building, where she alerted residents and called the police.
Though the DNA evidence collected in 2018 yielded a limited profile that could not be matched in national or state databases, it was viable for direct comparison. The proactive decision to test Panza’s DNA against the 2018 evidence led to a match, providing the break needed to resolve the cold case.
In court, both victims delivered emotional statements detailing the lasting impacts of Panza’s attacks. One victim expressed gratitude for those who supported her and helped bring justice, while the other spoke of the psychological toll of living in fear. “I believe the sentence is fair and that God will also judge the defendant’s punishment,” she said.
District Attorney Rocah emphasized the significance of the sentence, saying, “For a number of years, answers and closure evaded two women who were brutally and sexually assaulted in Peekskill. Thanks to the committed prosecutors in this office and our law enforcement partners who never gave up on solving these cases, we have aptly secured justice for them today.”