NATIONAL BRIEFING / NEBRASKA
A man who stole a painting of the Virgin Mary from a church to finance an abortion for a teen he had raped has been convicted of first-degree sexual assault and felony theft. Aurelio Vallerillo-Sanchez, 39, of Omaha pleaded no contest to the charges and faces up to 70 years in prison, Douglas County prosecuting attorney Brenda Beadle said.
Beadle said Vallerillo-Sanchez fled to Mexico with the 300-year-old painting worth $100,000 and the pregnant teen in March 2007. He sold the painting for $3,000 in Mexico, his daughter told police.
When an abortion wasn’t possible, the teen returned to Nebraska after giving birth, the prosecutor said. Vallerillo-Sanchez was arrested in February after DNA linked him to the September 2006 assault of the girl, then 14.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
