The 20-year-old accused of beating and raping an elderly woman which resulted in her death has taken a plea deal.In exchange for pleading guilty to first-degree murder, Sergio Perez will avoid the death penalty.Prosecutors said Perez, who was 19 at the time, beat and sexually assaulted Louise Sollowin, 93, in her home in July. She died days later.“The fact that somebody breaks into a house, rapes and beats a person to death is beyond belief,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.Perez was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.Kleine said Sollowin's family wanted closure, not revenge.“Speaking to the family, they said they'd like to close this out with this situation being a plea and closure, not having any appeals and him never being able to get out,” he said.-- Video: Woman's beating, death still hard on familyMoments after the court hearing, Sollowin's granddaughter, Theresa Hartzell, said the incident still haunts the family.“Especially my mom, who still lives there, in the house, and you know, I go and take care of her every day,” Hartzell said.Sollowin's daughter, 70-year-old Louise Orsi, is the one who found her dying mother. It is a memory she has to live with, but she said there are far more happy memories to block out the bad.“She used to tell me all the time, ‘Isn't it great that we're here? Isn't it great that you came and now we live here and nobody could throw us out?’” Orsi said.Orsi said the neighborhood never used to lock doors, but that has changed.

The 20-year-old accused of beating and raping an elderly woman which resulted in her death has taken a plea deal.

In exchange for pleading guilty to first-degree murder, Sergio Perez will avoid the death penalty.


Prosecutors said Perez, who was 19 at the time, beat and sexually assaulted Louise Sollowin, 93, in her home in July. She died days later.

“The fact that somebody breaks into a house, rapes and beats a person to death is beyond belief,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.

Perez was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Kleine said Sollowin's family wanted closure, not revenge.

“Speaking to the family, they said they'd like to close this out with this situation being a plea and closure, not having any appeals and him never being able to get out,” he said.

-- Video: Woman's beating, death still hard on family

Moments after the court hearing, Sollowin's granddaughter, Theresa Hartzell, said the incident still haunts the family.

“Especially my mom, who still lives there, in the house, and you know, I go and take care of her every day,” Hartzell said.

Sollowin's daughter, 70-year-old Louise Orsi, is the one who found her dying mother. It is a memory she has to live with, but she said there are far more happy memories to block out the bad.

“She used to tell me all the time, ‘Isn't it great that we're here? Isn't it great that you came and now we live here and nobody could throw us out?’” Orsi said.

Orsi said the neighborhood never used to lock doors, but that has changed.