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July 26, 2022

New York Exonerates Sixth Man Wrongfully Charged in Central Park Jogger Case
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Here in New York, a man who was forced to plead guilty to theft in
connection to the Central Park jogger case has been exonerated. Steven
Lopez was just 15 years old when he was arrested and wrongfully accused
of sexually assaulting a white woman along with five other Black and
Latinx teenagers, who became known as the Central Park Five. At the
time, Lopez, whose story is far less known than the rest of the group,
pleaded guilty to robbery in a separate attack in order to avoid a more
serious rape charge. Lopez is now 48. He served about three years in
prison before his release in the early 1990s. Manhattan District
Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Lopez's exoneration Monday.

Alvin Bragg: "Many largely forgot that there were six who were falsely
accused of rape of the Central Park jogger. Today, Mr. Lopez joined the
other five who had their convictions vacated. What is so striking to me
is how young Mr. Lopez was when both he was arrested and then when he
pled guilty under extraordinary pressure."



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