Santa Maria Man Sentenced 8 Years for Rape

Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced that 32-year-old Jose Luis Lua Manzo of Santa Maria was sentenced today to eight years in state prison. On August 16, 2023, the defendant was found guilty by a jury of Forcible Rape and Rape of an Unconscious or Asleep Person, both felony violations of Penal Code section 261.

The charges stem from the defendant’s rape of a young adult woman on August 4, 2021 in Santa Maria. While the woman was sleeping in her own bedroom, the defendant entered the room in the middle of the night, pulled down her pants, and began to rape her. After she woke up, the woman told the defendant to stop, but he did not. The woman fled her home after the rape and reported what happened to the Santa Maria Police Department.

Judge John F. McGregor sentenced the defendant to the maximum term possible for the offenses, finding that the sentence was warranted because the circumstances of the crime showed a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness; the defendant took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the rape; and Jane Doe was particularly vulnerable.

District Attorney John T. Savrnoch noted that the defendant could not have been held accountable for this heinous crime without Jane Doe’s bravery and strength and the unwavering support of her friends and family. Justice for Jane Doe was achieved due to the dedication and skill of Santa Maria Police Department Detectives Ronald Murillo and Jesse Garcia, forensic nurses, criminalists from the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services, and the work of Deputy District Attorney Steven Li.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual assault/abuse, help is available. The Rape of Youth & Incest National Network (RAINN) can connect you to a local Rape Crisis Center in your area code or to other resources available in your area. For more information, you can call their 24/7 hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE (1.800.656.4673) or visit the RAINN website at http://www.rainn.org.

The following agencies in Santa Barbara County are also available to assist:

North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center

• Website: https://sbcountyrapecrisis.org/
• Santa Maria Office:
  • Address: 301 MILLER ST # 206, SANTA MARIA, CA 93454
  • Phone:805.922.2994
• Lompoc Office:
  • Address: 511 E. OCEAN AVE, LOMPOC, CA 93436
  • Phone:805.736.8535

Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESSA)

• Website: https://sbstesa.org/
• Address: 433 E. Cañon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
• Phone:805.963.6832