Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
EUGENE (AP) - A man who raped a 62-year-old woman inside a Cottage Grove church has been sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.
Judge Gregory Foote issued the sentence after reviewing a psychiatrist's finding that 34-year-old Eric M. Perino, though mentally ill, was able to understand and follow the law at the time of the 2007 attack.
A prosecutor said Perino arrived at the church looking for food and clothing.
The woman, who was working late, let Perino inside and also allowed him to play the church's piano and a guitar. The rape occurred at about 11 p.m., when the woman told Perino she was closing for the night and it was time to go.
Perino apologized to the woman at Tuesday's sentencing.
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com