A Pennsylvania man was found guilty of raping an intoxicated teenager on an island along a river after prosecutors said he had taken her on a jet ski ride.
The 17-year-old said that she had been drinking with friends along the Susquehanna River’s shoreline in Martic Township, where Salvador Villa-Del Toro arrived on a jet ski and invited her for a ride in July 2024, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
He then allegedly raped her on an “unknown” island located on the river when they were alone, “despite her being in and out of consciousness and unable to consent to sex,” the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
The Susquehanna River begins in upstate New York and flows through Pennsylvania and Maryland, where it ends at the Chesapeake Bay.
After a five-day trial, Villa-Del Toro, 28, of Martic Township, was convicted on September 24 of rape of an unconscious victim, two counts of indecent assault, two counts of aggravated assault, corruption of minors, sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and failure to register an automobile, prosecutors said.
Following the alleged rape, the teen and Villa-Del Toro returned to her friends around an hour later, according to prosecutors.
Her friends instantly believed something was wrong and suspected she had been drugged when they saw how she struggled to walk or stand, she testified at trial.
Police arrived at the river in response to a report that the teen was potentially experiencing a drug overdose.
“Troopers were unable to speak to the victim at the time due to her condition and she was instead taken to a local hospital,” the district attorney’s office said.
While at the hospital, the teen had a vaginal swab taken, revealing traces of Villa-Del Toro’s DNA, according to prosecutors.
Though Villa-Del Toro first denied having sexual contact with the girl, he then claimed they had consensual sex near a swimming hole, the district attorney’s office said. He also allegedly acknowledged he knew she had been intoxicated after he offered her a jet ski ride on the river.
Before jurors found Villa-Del Toro guilty of all charges, they deliberated for about an hour, according to prosecutors.
Information on his legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
Judge Todd Brown is expected to sentence Villa-Del Toro at an upcoming hearing, the district attorney’s office said. His sentencing date wasn’t specified in the news release.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
