Perv Peekskill sentenced to 16 years for two assaults after DNA linked him to a cold case

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WHITE PLAINS, NY – A Peekskill man was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison for two sexual assaults in Westchester County, following a guilty plea that linked him to a 2021 rape and a previously unsolved attempted rape in 2018. The sentencing was announced by the district attorney of Westchester County, Miriam E. Rocah, who praised the persistence of prosecutors and law enforcement involved in solving the cases.

Cristian Panza, 43, pleaded guilty in September to first-degree rape and attempted first-degree rape. His sentence 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 heavily 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 attack, leading to Panza’s quick arrest as he attempted to flee the area.

At the police station, Panza drank from a cup held 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 attack, Panza approached a drunken 39-year-old woman outside a bar in Peekskill. He posed as a taxi driver and offered her a ride home. Instead of taking her to her destination, Panza drove to a remote area, where he climbed into the back of the vehicle, strangled her and attempted to rape her. The victim managed to scratch Panza, escape from the car and run to a nearby residential building, where she alerted residents and called the police.

Although DNA evidence collected in 2018 provided 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 breakthrough needed to solve the cold case.

In court, both victims gave emotional statements describing the lasting effects 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 verdict is fair and that God will also judge the defendant’s punishment,” she said.

District Attorney Rocah emphasized the significance of the verdict, saying, “For several years, answers and closure eluded two women who were brutally and sexually assaulted in Peekskill. Thanks to the dedicated prosecutors in this office and our law enforcement partners who never gave up on solving these cases, we appropriately secured justice for them today.”