A Lancaster city man charged with raping an unconscious woman as she died and filming himself in the act will have his case proceed to county court following a preliminary hearing earlier this week.

Judge Andrew LeFever ruled Monday that the case of Rocky Feliciano, 35, could proceed to the Court of Common Pleas on 12 charges including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, among others.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Ryan Burgett, who filed the charges, told the court that police had initially responded to a report of a cardiac arrest at Feliciano’s home in the 500 block of Hamilton Street in the early morning hours of August 16, 2024. First responders found the 34-year-old victim unresponsive and beyond life-saving measures.

Feliciano told police that he and the victim had engaged in consensual sex the night before to which they were both active participants, Burgett testified.

But an analysis of Feliciano’s phone done as part of the investigation into the victim’s death revealed three videos depicting Feliciano engaging in sexual acts with the victim shortly before her death, Burgett said.

The videos, which were played during the hearing as evidence, showed “a slight fall and rise” of the victim’s chest, but otherwise showed no indication that she was conscious or alive, Burgett testified.

Police told Feliciano they believed the victim was dying as he filmed the acts, to which Feliciano responded that “he’s not a medic” and has no way of knowing if someone “is alive or dead,” Burgett said.

When questioned further by police, Feliciano admitted that the video evidence “doesn’t look good” and said that another person who committed the same acts should be charged with rape, Burgett testified.

Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick, who will prosecute the case, told the court there was “zero” evidence that the victim ever consented to sex.

In a separate proceeding following the preliminary hearing, the defense requested that Judge LeFever impose bail. Feliciano is currently being held in Lancaster County Prison without bail due to being a flight risk and a danger to the community.

But Judge LeFever said that his “concerns about the community at large have not been assuaged by the preliminary hearing” and denied bail.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.