Rapist gets 35 years in prison for assault at downtown St. Petersburg restaurant

Two men and a 13-year-old boy went on a rampage of rape and robbery in 2008, authorities said, terrorizing women on both sides of the Pinellas-Hillsborough county line.

Rigoberto Moron Martinez was the accused ringleader. Now he's the first one to go to prison for his crimes.

Martinez, 21, was sentenced to 35 years in prison last week by a Pinellas-Pasco judge for robbing a downtown St. Petersburg restaurant and raping an employee. He pleaded guilty to all charges on Oct. 23.

But there was no plea deal, said Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett. The defendant left his fate to Circuit Judge Philip J. Federico.

But the judge relied on the victim, who picked the number after rejecting defense offers of 28 and 30 years, the state said. That decision spared her from having to take the witness stand.

"Nobody wants to go through that and testify if they don't have to," Bartlett said. "Of course, she was willing to go through the emotional trauma of a trial if she had to.

"We weren't looking to make a deal. We were very comfortable with our case."

The judge also declared Martinez a sexual predator.

Martinez faced up to life in prison on multiple charges of sexual battery, kidnapping and robbery in the Pinellas case — charges he and two others still face in Hillsborough County.

Co-defendant Jose Guadalupe Walle, 15, pleaded guilty Monday to the Pinellas charges but won't be sentenced until Dec. 21. Vicente "Daniel" Reyes-Carbajal, 21, still awaits trial in Pinellas County.

Authorities said the trio's rampage started with the July 3 home invasion robbery and rape of a Gibsonton couple. The armed suspects broke into the home, duct taped the husband, raped the wife and stole $3,000 worth of computers, authorities said.

Then on July 19, two 17-year-old girls said an armed Martinez forced them to the ground near Apollo Beach but fled when they screamed.

The next target was the Table, a downtown St. Petersburg restaurant where Martinez briefly worked. The three men are accused of entering through the back about 3 a.m. Aug. 3, binding one employee and raping another, then robbing the place.

Then on Aug. 16 in Apollo Beach, authorities said, two women at the Docks bar were kidnapped, bound and raped. Within days, Martinez was the first suspect captured.

"His problems are not over yet by a long stretch," Bartlett said.

Jamal Thalji can be reached at thalji@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8472.