Hicksville Predator Gets Life Sentence: Jayden Velasquez Jailed for Sex Assault Spree

Jayden Abadi Alvarado Velasquez, a 40-year-old Hicksville man, was sentenced in Nassau County Court on Wednesday to 25 years to life in prison. The sentence followed his May conviction by a jury on multiple severe charges, including predatory sexual assault, second-degree attempted assault, three counts of illegal weapons possession, and aggravated harassment, among other offenses. These convictions stemmed from a horrific pattern of abuse and threats against his former girlfriend, including a chilling threat to kill her and bury her in an abandoned building at the defunct Pilgrim State Psychiatric facility.

Nassau County prosecutor Amber Kempermann detailed how Velasquez first encountered the victim on August 23, 2023, at a deli, where he offered to buy her a drink. The very next day, Velasquez appeared uninvited at her doorstep, forcibly entering her home and, as the assistant district attorney stated, her life. Kempermann emphasized in court that Velasquez treated the victim “like she was his property,” asserting, “He told her it wasn’t about what she wanted; it was about what he wanted.”

Over the subsequent four months, Velasquez exerted pervasive control over every facet of the woman’s existence. Prosecutors revealed that he allegedly bragged about his affiliation with the MS-13 gang, used a gun to threaten her, and forced her into sexual acts. This prolonged period of abuse and manipulation culminated in a particularly terrifying incident. Velasquez ordered the woman to pick him up in her car, then violently smashed her face. They subsequently drove to an abandoned building within the old Brentwood psychiatric hospital, a location known to be heavily marked with gang graffiti.

During this harrowing drive, and at the abandoned facility, Velasquez allegedly told the victim that he met with fellow gang members in the building to plan murders and bury their victims on the grounds. He then explicitly threatened the victim, stating he would bury both her and her daughter in one of these very buildings. Upon their return to his home, Velasquez displayed two guns on his bed and once again forced her to have sex with him, according to Kempermann’s account. The day after this incident, Velasquez disturbingly texted the victim photos of the two guns, which finally prompted her to report the abuse to the police. He was subsequently arrested on October 29, 2023.

During recordings of jail telephone calls, Velasquez attempted to shift blame, claiming the victim was actually the gang member who had set him up and that he was the one who had been abused. However, his lawyer, Robert Schalk, countered certain aspects of the district attorney’s narrative in court. Schalk argued that no gang affiliation had ever been proven during the trial, and the evidence of his client blaming the victim had not been presented. “Has my client ever been arrested for gang activity in Nassau County? No,” Schalk stated, emphasizing, “This is not a gang trial. This is a boyfriend and girlfriend trial.” Schalk contended that the trial evidence suggested a consensual relationship, and his client frequently engaged in activities with the victim and her daughter. He affirmed that Velasquez maintained his innocence and has a right to appeal, suggesting that the case was not as straightforward as presented and that the verdict might be inconsistent with the facts.

State Supreme Court Justice Robert McDonald clarified that his sentencing decision was based solely on information presented at trial. He highlighted the gravity of Velasquez taking the victim to the abandoned psychiatric facility and threatening to kill her and her daughter there. While acknowledging he had no definitive proof of Velasquez’s gang membership, Justice McDonald firmly stated, “I believe he told the victim he was every day. I believe that he was threatening her; I believe he was threatening her on a daily basis. This was a relationship based on control. When she was doing what he wanted her to, all was well with the world. When she wasn’t doing what she wanted, the results were horrific.” As Velasquez was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs, he stared at the weeping victim. His attorney announced an immediate appeal, citing a “myriad of issues” warranting a review of the case.