BOSTON (WHDH) - After numerous delays, jury selection for Victor Peña, the man accused of kidnapping and raping a Boston woman in 2019, was finally underway on Wednesday. When the accused appeared on the Zoom call, he did so naked and making rude gestures.
The potential jurors were led out of the courtroom and later dismissed by the judge before a new pool was brought in.
The lewd incident comes a day after Peña was removed from the courtroom for “continual verbal outbursts,” according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.
The 42-year-old man was first arrested in 2019 after allegedly kidnapping and raping a 23-year-old Boston woman.
Prosecutors allege that Peña abducted the woman outside of a bar after she spent a night with friends before bringing her back to his Charlestown apartment. After police found the woman at Peña’s apartment, a three-day manhunt ensued for the suspect.
Three jurors were eventually seated Wednesday, bringing the total to five out of a needed 16 participants.
Officials say jury selection will continue on Thursday.
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