Vado man sentenced to 33 years for kidnapping, sexual assault

VADO, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Prosecutors say that Vado resident Javier Levario, 33, was sentenced by Judge Conrad F. Perea to a total of 33 years for two different crimes.

Levario pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping. He held his girlfriend at knifepoint and kept her in his truck for three days. Prosecutors say he beat and threatened to kill his girlfriend.

"This sentencing included nine (9) additional years of incarceration - exceeding the State’s recommendation.," prosecutors explained.

Levario was also convicted earlier this month for first-degree criminal sexual penetration of a minor. Prosecutors say that in 2011, Levario sexually assaulted a child. He received the maximum possible sentence of 24 years.

Levario will have to serve at least 85% of both sentences before becoming eligible for release, due to the fact that the offenses were designated violent.

ORIGINAL STORY (September 24, 2025): A jury found Javier Levario, 32, on one count of 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Penetration of a Minor Under 13 and one count of 3rd Degree Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor Under 13.

Prosecutors say that Levario, a Vado, New Mexico resident, committed the crimes in 2011. The crimes were not disclosed to authorities until 2017, prosecutors say.

The jury handed down its guilty verdict yesterday after 40 minutes of deliberation. A previous trial in this case resulted in a hung jury.

Levario will be sentenced at a later date. He remains in custody.