On Monday, a Schenectady man entered a guilty plea to charges of rape and arson, and he is anticipated to serve 30 years in jail.
In Schenectady County Court, 21-year-old Dakiem Demonia guilty to three distinct offenses that took place over the course of a week in the spring.
Demonia invited a woman he met on a social media app to his flat at 1315 Lower Broadway on May 27. The Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office claims that after she came, he compelled her to perform sex acts while brandishing a knife.
After escaping from him, the victim fled onto the street, where Good Samaritans heard the disturbance and called the police. Demonia was taken into custody by officers on the spot.
Then, on May 29, in the middle of the night, Demonia went back to the apartment complex and set it on fire. Prosecutors said he was angry about the landlord’s attempt to evict him. Despite being seen on security footage, Demonia departed the area before the cops arrived. The building was damaged, forcing residents to temporarily relocate, but no one was harmed.
Demonia also said that he had threatened to use a knife on a lady he had met the day before if she didn’t engage in sexual activity in his vehicle. After she fled the vehicle, he dragged her to a park’s forested section, where he sexually abused and strangled her. He took her purse as well and walked away.
The police were alerted by a bystander. Later, they discovered that Demonia’s leggings contained her genetic material.
On June 1, Demonia was taken into custody by police after they noticed him strolling down the street. Although he fled, a K-9 managed to capture him and take him into custody.
As a violent man who frequently preys on women he meets and is willing to set a house on fire, jeopardizing the lives of individuals who are asleep at the time, it is evident to us that Mr. Demonia poses a clear and present danger. For our office, it was crucial that he be given distinct sentences for each of these violent offenses, and that these terms be consecutive.
On February 11, Demonia was sentenced to 30 years in prison, 10 years for each act of rape, attempted rape, and arson.