New Jersey

Man Gets Life in Prison for Sex Attack, Murder of 11-Year-Old New Jersey Girl

"Not even torture and death will be justice," the young victim's mother said

What to Know

  • Neighbor who admitted to sexually assaulting, fatally stabbing 11-year-old NJ girl will spend what will likely be rest of life behind bars
  • Andreas Erazo, 20, of Keansburg, was arrested in 2017 after Abbiegail Smith’s body was found partially clothed, wrapped in comforter on roof
  • He pleaded guilty February to first-degree murder and first-degree aggravated sexual assault.

The upstairs neighbor who admitted to sexually assaulting and fatally stabbing an 11-year-old New Jersey girl will spend what will likely be the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced Friday.

Andreas Erazo, 20, of Keansburg, was arrested in July 2017 after Abbiegail Smith’s body was found partially clothed and wrapped in a comforter on a roof behind the building where she and Erazo lived. He pleaded guilty February to first-degree murder and first-degree aggravated sexual assault.

Erazo was sentenced, concurrently to 75 years for murder and 50 years for aggravated sexual assault. He will be required to serve 63 years and nine months before being eligible for parole.

By the time Erazo gets a chance to get out of prison he will be more than 80 years old and will be on parole for the rest of his life.

Abbiegail’s mother reported her missing on July 12, 2017, about an hour after she disappeared from their apartment on Hancock Street in Keansburg, prosecutors said.

Detectives found the girl’s body on the roof of a building behind her apartment complex the next morning. Sources at the time said her hands had been bound; an autopsy later found she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.

An investigation led police to Abbiegail’s upstairs neighbor, Erazo, who was charged with her murder. Prosecutors at the time said blood stains were found on his windowsill, and a knife was found in his apartment.

Erazo admitted to killing Abbiegail during a nine-hour interrogation, but he didn’t have a lawyer with him at the time, prosecutors previously said.

During Erazo's sentencing, judge David Bauman quoted a psychological report in which Erazo allegedly said "I believe I am a sex addict." 

Bauman also noted during the sentencing that Erazo never looked over tat the three relatives who have victim impact statements and when he was given the chance to express remorse he said nothing.

Abbiegail's mother, Carol Bennett, cried repeatedly as her sister Cecile hugged her tight during her impact statement in which she called Erazo an evil monster.

"Not even torture and death will be justice," she said, adding "My family and I will never forgive you."

Meanwhile Cecile, the young girl's aunt, said "our faith in humanity was taken away from us that day."

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