FROM:
Karyn Sinunu, Assistant District Attorney CONTACT PERSON:
Ben Field, Deputy District Attorney
Sexual Assault Unit
(408) 792-2593 For Release on May 27, 2003 SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON This morning Hector Sanchez, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four women in Santa Clara County, received multiple life sentences for his crimes. He will serve 44 years before he begins to serve four consecutive life sentences. Sanchez is currently 39 years old.
The case involved sexual assaults in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Jose during December 2001 and January 2002. On December 9, 2001, Sanchez abducted a 42-year-old Gilroy woman, drove her to a secluded area, threatened her with a knife, and attempted to sexually assault her. She struggled with the defendant, escaped from the car, and called the police. On December 11, 2001, Sanchez attacked a 48-year-old San Jose woman in her home as she was returning from the grocery store. He threatened her with a knife, then raped and robbed her. He disabled her phone before leaving. On December 22, 2001, Sanchez attacked a 46-year-old woman in her San Jose office, where she was working alone that Saturday morning. After using a ruse to get her to unlock the front door, he knocked her to the floor, groped her, and attempted to drag her into an empty back office. She managed to escape by entering the office ahead of Sanchez, locking the door, and calling the police. On January 8, 2002, Sanchez attacked a 68-year-old woman at her home in Morgan Hill. After using a ruse to get the victim to open the door, he threatened her with a knife, forced her into her bedroom, then blindfolded and raped her. He then robbed and bound her before leaving in her van. Sanchez is also charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Capitola. Those charges are still pending. Sanchez pleaded guilty to all the charges against him after a jury was selected and the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case made an opening statement.
Karyn Sinunu, Assistant District Attorney CONTACT PERSON:
Ben Field, Deputy District Attorney
Sexual Assault Unit
(408) 792-2593 For Release on May 27, 2003 SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON This morning Hector Sanchez, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four women in Santa Clara County, received multiple life sentences for his crimes. He will serve 44 years before he begins to serve four consecutive life sentences. Sanchez is currently 39 years old.
The case involved sexual assaults in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Jose during December 2001 and January 2002. On December 9, 2001, Sanchez abducted a 42-year-old Gilroy woman, drove her to a secluded area, threatened her with a knife, and attempted to sexually assault her. She struggled with the defendant, escaped from the car, and called the police. On December 11, 2001, Sanchez attacked a 48-year-old San Jose woman in her home as she was returning from the grocery store. He threatened her with a knife, then raped and robbed her. He disabled her phone before leaving. On December 22, 2001, Sanchez attacked a 46-year-old woman in her San Jose office, where she was working alone that Saturday morning. After using a ruse to get her to unlock the front door, he knocked her to the floor, groped her, and attempted to drag her into an empty back office. She managed to escape by entering the office ahead of Sanchez, locking the door, and calling the police. On January 8, 2002, Sanchez attacked a 68-year-old woman at her home in Morgan Hill. After using a ruse to get the victim to open the door, he threatened her with a knife, forced her into her bedroom, then blindfolded and raped her. He then robbed and bound her before leaving in her van. Sanchez is also charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Capitola. Those charges are still pending. Sanchez pleaded guilty to all the charges against him after a jury was selected and the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case made an opening statement.