Santa Maria Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexual Assault

Source: Santa Barbara County District Attorney

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced that on January 24, 2022, in Department 6 of the Santa Maria Branch of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, the Honorable Patricia L. Kelly sentenced defendant Roberto Contreras, age 44, to 50 years to life in prison.  This sentence followed a jury trial wherein a Santa Maria jury found the defendant guilty of three counts of forcible sexual assault and five counts of felony assault.  The jury also found true the special allegations that the defendant tortured and used a deadly weapon when he forcibly sexually assaulted the victim.

Deputy District Attorney Catherine Martin presented evidence that over a five day period in 2019, the defendant beat Jane Doe with a tennis racket, an extension cord, and a vacuum tube while sexually assaulting her, inflicting blunt force trauma over her entire body.  During the trial, Jane Doe testified and described the physical and psychological harm she endured as a result of the defendant’s sexual and physical abuse.  In a written victim impact statement, Jane Doe described her journey and recovery in becoming a survivor of domestic violence.  Her bravery in reporting the abuse and courage in testifying at trial directly resulted in the jury’s verdict.  The verdict and sentence were also the result of an excellent investigation by Detective Mathew Silver and other members of the Santa Maria Police Department.