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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Cesar Lagunas, 51, was found guilty of raping and intimidating a witness by a jury in Berkshire Superior Court on Wednesday, even though he fled to Mexico midway through the trial.

Lagunas, formerly of Pittsfield, was convicted on April 15, 2019, of sexually assaulting a person and threatening to blackmail the victim to prevent her from reporting the crime. The Honorable Judge John Agostini presided over the hearing and allowed it to proceed in the defendant’s absence.

District Attorney Timothy Shugrue praised the victim’s tenacity. “The survivor demonstrated tremendous strength and resilience throughout this process,” Shugrue said in a statement.

Lagunas fled the country on Monday, November 11, two days before the verdict. An arrest warrant has been issued and authorities are working to extradite him. The Pittsfield Police Department, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office’s State Police Detective Unit, New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations are cooperating on the case.

The investigation was conducted by Pittsfield police and the case was prosecuted by Child Exploitation Unit Chief Andrew Giarolo. Support for the victims was provided by Jane Kibby-Pierce, Director of Victim Witness Advocates for the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.

Lagunas remains at large as law enforcement tries to bring him back to Massachusetts to face sentencing.

His fugitive conviction leaves a dark stain on Berkshire County as authorities intensify efforts to capture the convicted rapist.