Woman escapes man raping her, then jumps out window and runs to neighbor’s, NM cops say

A 25-year-old man accused of breaking into a woman’s home and raping her in 2021 is going to prison, New Mexico officials said.

Jose Maldonado, of Clovis, was found guilty Feb. 27 in connection to the May 2021 sexual assault, according to a news release from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney.

The victim had woke up to Maldonado “standing over her while she was in bed,” officials said.

He is then accused of getting on top of her and pulling her shorts down while she “struggled and screamed for help,” officials said.

“Maldonado forcefully pushed her face into the pillow holding her by the neck,” the district attorney’s office said.

When the victim was able to turn her head, she told Maldonado, “someone is walking by the window,” the district attorney said.

When he went to check, the woman “jumped out of the bedroom window where she ran to the neighbor’s house and called 911,” officials said.

Maldonado’s DNA was a match for the evidence found in the rape kit conducted, the district attorney said.

Maldonado was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration and burglary, according to a news release.

After finishing his prison sentence, Maldonado will remain on sex offender parole for at least five years, officials said.

Clovis is a 220-mile drive southeast from Albuquerque.

This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Woman escapes man raping her, then jumps out window and runs to neighbor’s, NM cops say."