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Disturbing details revealed from 23-year-old woman's alleged kidnapping, captivity after leaving Boston bar

1:19
New details in Boston kidnapping case
Aram Boghosian/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool
ByEmily Shapiro
March 20, 2019, 8:53 PM

A man accused of abducting a young Boston woman allegedly raped her and forced her to read from a Bible while holding her captive for days at his apartment, according to prosecutors.

The 23-year-old, who was rescued by police days later, was drunk when she left Hennessey's bar in Boston on Jan. 19 and encountered Victor Pena on the street, according to a statement of the case from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. Pena pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday.

Pena allegedly began hugging, kissing and walking with her, and surveillance video showed Pena holding her up and carrying her, prosecutors said.

The 38-year-old allegedly took the young woman to his apartment in Charlestown and raped her while she was incapacitated, prosecutors said.

Victor Pena appears in this undated file photo.
Rhode Island State Police

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The victim said she didn't remember leaving the bar and woke up the next day on a bare mattress in Pena's apartment, prosecutors said.

When she tried to get dressed and leave, Pena physically stopped her and threatened to kill her several times, according to prosecutors.

Pena allegedly told the young woman that he rescued her on the street and he loved her and they were going to start a family, prosecutors claim.

The victim said she was sexually assaulted multiple times for the next three days, and that she tried to escape but couldn't, prosecutors said.

PHOTO: Victor Pena, left, is arraigned on kidnapping charges at the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court in Charlestown, Mass., Jan. 23, 2019.
Victor Pena, left, is arraigned on kidnapping charges at the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court in Charlestown, Mass., Jan. 23, 2019. Pena, who has been charged with kidnapping a 23-year-old woman in Boston has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and will be held without bail.
Aram Boghosian/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool

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Pena -- who had the victim's phone -- allegedly told her to read aloud from a Spanish-language Bible, prosecutors said.

He allegedly only gave her canned pineapple to eat; the victim said he offered her ramen but she couldn't eat the noodles due to a wheat intolerance, prosecutors said. Despite that, prosecutors said Pena forced her to drink whiskey.

The victim offered to help clean Pena's apartment as she stalled for time, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, when the victim's sister couldn't find her the following day, she used an app which showed the young woman's phone on the suspect's street in Charlestown, said prosecutors.

Police scoured Charlestown and released surveillance images of the victim walking with a then-unknown suspect. Investigators searched public transit cards associated with the street her phone pinged on and found one issued to Pena, who matched the description of the suspect, prosecutors said.

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On Jan. 22, after 3 days of captivity, police knocked repeatedly on Pena's apartment door with no response, according to prosecutors.

As a locksmith started drilling through the deadbolt, Pena allegedly told the victim to get dressed and gave her her phone, telling her to let someone know she was OK, said prosecutors.

Pena opened the door and the 23-year-old, frightened and shaken, immediately told police Pena had kept her from leaving, prosecutors said.

Pena fought detectives as they detained him, prosecutors claim. He allegedly told police he took the young woman from the street because she needed help and reminded him of a daughter he hadn't seen for 10 years, said prosecutors.

Pena was arraigned Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and 10 counts of aggravated rape, his defense attorney, Bill Barabino, told ABC News.

He was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on April 10, according to the prosecutor's office.

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