Lilburn Man Sentenced to Two Life Terms for Rape and Assault at Gunpoint

A Gwinnett County jury has found a Lilburn man guilty of sexually assaulting an acquaintance at gunpoint after a jealous outburst, sentencing him to two consecutive life terms in prison.

Santos Edgardo Amaya-Bonilla, 52, was convicted of three counts of rape, five counts of aggravated sodomy, and two counts of aggravated assault for a series of attacks in March 2020.

“The victim of the defendant’s criminal acts received justice,” said Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. “The jury returned a verdict in under an hour to give this victim the justice she deserves.”

On March 24, 2020, Amaya-Bonilla confronted the victim at her workplace after seeing her talking to a male co-worker. He later returned, hit her in the chest, and threatened to kill her. That evening, he pointed a gun at her and sexually assaulted her.

Four days later, on March 28, Amaya-Bonilla became angry when he went to pick the victim up from work and she had to stay an extra 30 minutes. He hit her in the face when she got into his car and later sexually assaulted her again at gunpoint. The following morning, he attacked her in bed after she woke up.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Scott Estes and Chris Huslak of the Special Victims Unit, with support from DA’s Investigator Lashonda Williams and Victim Witness Advocate Esther Askew. The Gwinnett County Police Department also assisted in the investigation.