A City of Newburgh man has been convicted of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home multiple times and violently attacking her.
Ricardo Mendoza, age 28 of Newburgh, was convicted of nine charges following a trial in Orange County Court. He was found guilty of Burglary in the 2nd degree and Criminal Contempt in the 1st degree.
In August of 2021, the Newburgh City Court issued an order of protection against Mendoza to keep him away from his ex-girlfriend.
On October 23, 2021, Mendoza allegedly ignored the order, entered the woman’s home, grabbed her by her arm, and tried to drag her out of bed.
On December 1, 2021, Mendoza reportedly ignored the order again, entered the woman’s home, grabbed her phone out of her hand, and stole items from her pocketbook. He then fled out the front door.
On January 13, 2022, Mendoza was accused of entering the woman’s home while she was gone. She returned to her home to find Mendoza inside and waiting for her. As proven at trial, Mendoza proceeded to punch, kick, and squeeze the neck of the victim. He then threw her phone in order to prevent her from calling for help. He then fled the home and could not be located by the police.
Prosecutors obtained an indictment charging Mendoza for each of these crimes. An arrest warrant was issued and he was subsequently apprehended. The case was recently heard in Orange County Court where the allegations against him were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.
Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department who conducted the investigation that led to the eventual apprehension of Mendoza.
“Victims of domestic violence deserve to live their lives free of the fear of those who seek to harm them,” Hoovler observed. “We will seek stiff punishment for offenders, such as this defendant, who commit dangerous crimes in the face of direct orders from the Court. I commend the bravery of the survivors in this case and all cases like it.”
Mendoza faces a mandatory sentence in the state pen during his sentencing on October 3, 2022. He was remanded to Orange County Jail without bail.
Victims of domestic violence can contact Fearless Hudson Valley, Inc., which is the former Safe Homes. They have an office in the Family Justice Center at 280 Broadway (3rd floor) in the City of Newburgh. They also have a 24-hour hotline based out of Newburgh that can be reached at (845) 562-5340. Their website can be visited at https://fearlesshv.org/
