A man who robbed and assaulted a 75-year-old man as the victim was feeding cats in an alley has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison, the Westchester District Attorney’s Office said.
Vladimir Puentes, 51, who was convicted of first- and second-degree robbery and second-degree assault following a trial in October 2025, was sentenced Tuesday, April 14, by Westchester Judge Robert Prisco, who also imposed five years of post-release supervision.
“Protecting our most vulnerable community members, particularly the elderly, is paramount to the Westchester County Districts Attorney’s Office,” Westchester DA Susan Cacace said in a news release announcing the sentencing. “We hope that this strong sentence will serve as a warning that violence directed at our seniors will not be tolerated.”
Puentes faced a minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years. Prosecutors Alexander Shapiro and Rachel Ehrhardt sought an 18-year prison term; Puentes’ lawyer Andrew Restivo sought an 8-year term, which he said was the pre-trial offer in the case.
According to court documents, at around 5:15 am on July 1, 2024, the victim had just parked his car at Riverdale Avenue and Radford Street when he went into an alley to feed some cats.
Puentes followed him and hit him on the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. He then straddled the man and went through his pockets, pulling out a boxcutter that he used to threaten the man. Puentes then fled with the victim’s wallet, which contained cash and credit cards.
The victim called 911 and was treated at the scene for cuts to his face and neck.
Puentes was arrested the next day after he was pulled over in a car that had been seen on surveillance video at the scene of the robbery, according to court records. The video showed the driver of the car get out and follow the victim before returning to the car moments later and driving off.
Restivo challenged the victim’s identification of Puentes, as he told detectives his assailant was black and Puentes is light-skinned Hispanic. The day of Puentes’ arrest, the victim picked him out of a photo array shown to him by detectives.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 12-year prison term for robbery, assault of elderly man in Yonkers
Reporting by Jonathan Bandler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
