Man Who Raped and Killed 11-Year-Old Will ‘Burn in Hell’ Mother Says at Sentencing

Zachary Stieber
By Zachary Stieber
May 31, 2019US News
share
Man Who Raped and Killed 11-Year-Old Will ‘Burn in Hell’ Mother Says at Sentencing
Andreas Erazo in a file mugshot. (Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office)

A 20-year-old man who admitted to sexually assaulting his 11-year-old neighbor before stabbing her to death will “burn in hell,” the girl’s mother said at the sentencing on May 31.

Andreas Erazo was sentenced to 75 years in prison for first-degree murder and 50 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault for the 2017 murder of Abbiegail Smith, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said. He has to serve nearly 64 years in prison before being eligible for parole and will get credit for the 687 days he’s been in jail.

Erazo pleaded guilty on Feb. 26.

Abbiegail’s mother, Carol Bennett, said that the sentencing was welcome, reported the NJ Advance Media.

“I was thinking (while he was being sentenced) how he will be in jail forever without seeing the light again, because he doesn’t deserve to be out and walking around after what he did to my 11-year-old child. He doesn’t need to be around society,” she said.

During the sentencing, she told Erazo: “Her soul is with God, while yours will be with the devil.”

He would “burn in hell for all of eternity for raping and murdering my precious daughter,” she added, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Erazo did not speak during the sentencing and has not apologized for what he did.

“Andreas Erazo hasn’t shown any remorse, sympathy or empathy, not even this morning in court, he didn’t have anything to say for what he did to my daughter,” Bennett told reporters outside the Monmouth County Courthouse after the sentencing hearing. “All the evil and terrible acts he did to her, he has nothing to say.”

Abbiegail, known as Abbie, went missing on July 12, 2017. She was found dead the following day on a rooftop outside Erazo’s window. She had been raped and stabbed to death and was restrained with computer cords.

“While in the rear yard, detectives ultimately observed an object wrapped up in what appeared to be a blanket or comforter up on a rear roof. Upon closer inspection, they found what appeared to be the deceased body of the 11-year old victim. An autopsy would subsequently determine that the victim had been sexually assaulted and fatally stabbed,” the prosecutor’s office stated.

Officials at the time said that the murder was brutal.

“This is one of the worst crimes that I’ve seen as alleged,” said Chris Gramiccioni, Monmouth County Prosecutor, reported ABC 7. “Anytime there’s a child victim involved, and we’ve seen cases like this before at the prosecutor’s office, it is truly heinous.”

DNA tied Erazo to the rape in addition to the body being found near Erazo’s bedroom. He claimed that he thought she was a burglar, reported the Press.

Deputy Assistant Public Defender Michael Wicke claimed on Friday that Erazo was raised by a single mother and has been diagnosed with multiple disorders.

“There is no causal connection whatsoever between these mental conditions and the crimes for which he now stands convicted,” Superior Court Judge David Bauman responded.

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments