Man Pleads Guilty to 2003 Attempted Rape, Armed Assault in Hopkinton Woman's Home

HOPKINTON, MA — A man pled guilty this week on charges of an armed assault in a Hopkinton woman's home that happened 2003.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Hopkinton Chief of Police Edward Lee announced that Marcelo Mota, 37, currently housed in MCI Gardner, pled guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 14, in Middlesex Superior Court in connection with a 2003 armed assault inside a Hopkinton woman’s home.

Mota pled guilty to armed burglary, armed assault in a dwelling, assault with intent to rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of threatening to commit a crime.

Judge Laurence Pierce sentenced the defendant to 20-24 years in State Prison to run concurrent with the sentence the defendant received out of Worcester County.

“This plea is a culmination of years of hard work by police and prosecutors to ensure that the defendant’s crimes in Massachusetts did not go unanswered for,” said District Attorney Ryan in a statement. “This case is an example of the dedication and commitment of law enforcement officials to ensuring that perpetrators of crimes in their communities do not go unpunished.”

Hopkinton Police Chief Lee stated that, “This investigation showcases the gold standard of multi-jurisdictional collaboration in the criminal justice system.”

According to investigators, on Aug. 14, around 10:30 p.m., a woman in Hopkinton awoke to find Mota, who had broken into her home, holding a knife over her. She was injured by the knife while struggling with him, and physically kicked him out of her home and called police.

Investigators found that the assault was similar to other assaults that had taken place in nearby residences in Westborough. A manhunt ensued for the Mota that spanned several years. In 2007, based on forensic evidence obtained in New Jersey, both the DNA from the Westborough assaults and a fingerprint from the Hopkinton assault, were linked to this defendant. He was placed in Massachusetts custody on June 11, 2014, and arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on these charges on August 6, 2014.

The prosecutor assigned to this case was Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Kontz. The Victim Witness Advocate was Anne Foley.