Sentenced! Etown Man Who Carried Woman's Groceries Home Then Raped Her

Drew Deshong also known as Carlos Cartagena pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated indecent assault without consent, aggravated indecent assault – forcible compulsion, aggravated assault, strangulation, false identification to law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and indecent assault. 

He was sentenced to serve 6 ½ to 13 years as set by Judge Dennis Reinaker on April 24, 2024. 

The incident that led Deshong to his fate began after he walked a woman home while carrying her groceries in the 100 block of East Park Street around 6:20 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2022, the DA detailed in the release. 

He approached the victim because “she looked like a nice lady" and identified himself as “Carlos Cartagena,” but was later identified by police as Deshong, the DA explained in the release. 

When they got to the woman's home the following scene played out as stated in the release:

"The defendant told the victim he had an active warrant for his arrest and planned to turn himself in while they walked to the victim’s home. The victim offered to make the defendant food since he carried her groceries home. As the victim cooked food, Deshong went into the bathroom and exited wearing a bandana around his face and sunglasses, brandished a knife, and told the victim: 'Now you are going to live out your favorite fantasy.' Deshong then physically and sexually assaulted the victim causing abrasion to both sides of her face, slight redness in her neck, bruising/redness around her mouth, a missing tooth, a cut on her neck, bruising on the nose, and ripped out hair."

The woman he attacked broke free and was able to call the police from a neighbor’s home. 

Deshong was found "wearing the victim’s robe and methamphetamine in his clothes that were left at the victim’s apartment,' according to the DA. 

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa prosecuted the case. Elizabethtown Borough Police Officer Michael Goshen filed charges.

If you or someone you love is the victim of sexual abuse, harassment, or assault; there is help, the YWCA Lancaster runs a free 24-hour sexual assault hotline, 717-392-7273 alternatively, you can contact 717-869-5009 or wehearyou@ywcalancaster.org for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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