Providence Man Convicted For Raping Woman At Warwick Hotel

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man was convicted after prosecutors proved he raped a woman in 2021 at a Motel 6 in Warwick, Attorney General Peter Neronha said Monday.

Following a four-day trial, a Kent County Superior Court jury found Francisco Vazquez, 37, guilty of first-degree sexual assault. Vazquez is being held without bail until his sentencing hearing at a later date. A jury also convicted a co-defendant, Hector Ramirez, of first-degree sexual assault stemming from the same incident.

"Sexual assault causes a great deal of physical and emotional trauma for victims, and we know it is chronically underreported for this reason and many others," Neronha said. "Each time we bring a perpetrator of sexual violence to justice, I hope it helps other victims remember that justice is possible. I also hope that the victim in this case, who bravely testified in two trials, can now find some peace. I’m grateful to the Warwick Police Department for their outstanding work and partnership in this case and so many others."

During the trial, state prosecutors proved that on March 6, 2021, Vazquez and Ramirez raped a woman at the Motel 6 in Warwick. That night, Vazquez invited a friend, the victim, to a house party in Providence.

Following the party, the victim’s next memory was waking up in an unknown location while being sexually assaulted, prosecutors said. Later that day, the victim reported the sexual assault to Women and Infant’s Hospital in Providence.

Warwick police matched DNA results from the victim’s sexual assault exam with Vazquez, leading to his arrest.

"While nothing can undo the pain caused to this victim, I commend her bravery throughout this process," Warwick Police Chief Bradford Connor said. "Justice was served in this case, and I thank Detective McGaffigan and our partners at the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office for their investigation and prosecutorial work."

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