Carol Stream man gets 12 years for raping estranged wife

A Carol Stream man convicted of raping his estranged wife in front of their toddler son has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, authorities said Tuesday.

Jose Mendoza-Maceda, 23, of the 500 block of Thornhill Drive, was found guilty of two counts of criminal sexual assault by a DuPage County jury in June.

Prosecutors said Mendoza-Maceda and his wife were legally separated and living apart when he raped her in a car parked behind a Carol Stream factory in June 2012.

Evidence showed the victim tried to shield the couple’s 3-year-old son, who was in the vehicle during the attack, according to prosecutors.

After the assault, the victim went home and called 911, leading to Mendoza-Maceda’s arrest later that night.

State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said the defendant “violated the victim in the most horrible way.”

“The fact that the victim’s 3-year-old son had to witness his mother being raped makes the defendant’s conduct even more reprehensible,” Berlin said.

Mendoza-Maceda was sentenced Monday by DuPage Judge Blanche Hill Fawell. By law, he must serve a little more than 10 years before he could be eligible for parole.