Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced the sentencing today of a Hempstead man for simultaneously raping and strangling a 50-year-old Garden City woman in her home just over a week after Superstorm Sandy slammed into Long Island.
Artie Jackson was sentenced to a maximum term of 25 years to life in prison by Nassau County Court Judge Angelo Delligatti. A Nassau jury had found Jackson guilty of 18 counts for the November 2012 attack:
- Three counts of Predatory Sexual Assault (an AII Violent felony)
- Rape in the 1st Degree (a B Violent felony)
- Two counts of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree (a B Violent felony)
- Three counts of Robbery in the 1st Degree (a B Violent felony)
- Six counts of Burglary in the 1st Degree (a B Violent felony)
- Two counts of Strangulation in the 1st Degree (a C Violent felony)
- Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree (a D Violent felony)
Jackson was convicted by a Nassau jury on Oct. 6 after three hours of deliberations at the end of an approximately one month trial before Judge Delligatti. Jackson is due back in court on Jan. 13, 2015 to face additional charges for which he has been indicted relating to two other home invasions and two unoccupied home burglaries committed in the wake of the historic storm.
“Artie Jackson committed horrific crimes against his victim that defy comprehension in their savagery and brutality, and as a result, terrorized an entire community still struggling to recover from a historic storm,” DA Rice said. “Though nothing will erase the fear and panic experienced by the victim that night, it’s my deepest hope that today’s sentence will allow her to find some peace in the knowledge that this man, who has caused so much pain for so many, will no longer be able to hurt anyone else for the foreseeable future.”
DA Rice said that at approximately 9:13 p.m. on Nov. 11, 2012, Jackson broke into an East Garden City home while a 50-year-old woman living there slept. After wandering around the home eating food from the house and rummaging through belongings, then attempting to disable the house alarm, Jackson entered his victim’s bedroom with a knife. A violent struggle ensued in which Jackson broke his victim’s nose and eye socket, and strangled her with a zip tie until it sliced her neck.
Jackson raped the woman, who became unconscious during the attack, and dragged her down the stairs to the first floor, leaving her crumpled and bleeding on the floor. While Jackson continued to gather valuables including electronics and jewelry, the victim played dead. When Jackson went back to the second floor to disable another component of the house alarm, his victim escaped to a neighbor’s property, where police were called and rescued her.
Assistant District Attorneys D.J. Rosenbaum and Rachel Grinspan of DA Rice’s Special Victims Bureau are prosecuting the case. Assistant District Attorney Everett Witherell of DA Rice’s Major Offense Bureau is prosecuting the case on the remaining charges. Jackson is represented by Dana Grossblatt, Esq.