Bronx man sentenced to 20 years for brutal attack on 12-year-old girl

BRONX, N.Y. – A Bronx man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for assaulting and robbing a 12-year-old girl at gunpoint in her apartment building, prosecutors said.

Gabriel Narvaez, 46, was convicted of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault for the March 9, 2020, attack in the Mott Haven section. Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeanette Rodriguez-Morick handed down the sentence, which includes five years of post-release supervision, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced.

Prosecutors said Narvaez followed the girl into her building on East 139th Street after she returned home from school. He pulled a gun, then pistol-whipped, punched, kicked, and choked her before stealing her keys and cellphone. Neighbors intervened, causing him to flee, leaving behind a surgical mask and baseball hat that later led to a DNA match. He was arrested on November 19, 2020.

The victim sustained head wounds, bruises, and internal bleeding and required psychiatric counseling after the attack. “Hopefully this sentence will bring a measure of justice to this brave child,” Clark said.

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