Yorktown Man and Shrub Oak Woman Charged with Raping a 15-year-old girl

A county Department of Corrections officer and a Shrub Oak woman are charged with third degree rape, class D felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a class A misdemeanor after sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. 

Yorktown resident Frederick Portella, 44, was arrested on June 17  at 12:30 p.m. when he surrendered himself at police headquarters in the presence of his attorney. He was a former Lakeland school board candidate in May, who did not get elected. 

On May 25, one of the Department's School Resource Officers informed that a student was sexually assaulted at a residence over the weekend, police said. 

The School Resource Officer and Detective Timothy Tausz began an investigation, which revealed that on the evening of May 21, 2010, the 15-year-old female victim was babysitting at the Shrub Oak residence of Michelle Mace, 33, at 1106 Stonegate Rd.

Later that evening Michelle Mace returned home with a male subject, who was later identified as Frederick Portella. While inside the residence it is alleged that Mace and Portella engaged in sexual conduct with the 15-year-old girl as they "acted together."

On May 26, Michelle Mace was arrested as she arrived home. Following processing on the charges, she was arraigned by Judge Lagonia on May 26 and remanded to the Westchester County jail with no bail. She has since been released on bail and has been appearing in court.

Yorktown Police Chief Daniel McMahon said Michelle Mace has a prior criminal record. In 1998, she was charged with a second degree forgery in Nassau County.

The woman has two children, ages 8 and 10, who were upstairs while the alleged rape was going on downstairs, police said.