Jose Luis Lua Manzo of Santa Maria receives maximum sentence for two Felony sex crimes

Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office

Published October 17, 2023 4:46 pm

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced on Tuesday that 32-year-old Jose Luis Lua Manzo of Santa Maria was sentenced to eight years after he was found guilty of Felony Forcible Rape and Felony Rape of an Unconscious or Asleep Person.

On Aug. 4, 2021, Manzo raped a young woman in her home in Santa Maria while she was asleep in her bedroom relay Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, Manzo entered the young woman's room late in the night, pulled down her pants, and began to rape her.

The young woman woke up during the rape and told Manzo to stop, but he did not detail Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

The young woman fled her home after the rape and contacted the Santa Maria Police Department relay Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

Following Manzo's conviction by a jury on Aug. 16, 2023, Judge John F. McGregor sentenced him to the maximum term possible, finding that the sentence was warranted because the circumstances of the crime showed a high degree of cruelty, viscousness, or callousness; and that the defendant took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the rape; and that the young woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, was particularly vulnerable relay Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

District Attorney Savrnoch detailed that Manzo could not have been held accountable for his crimes without Jane Doe's courage and the unwavering support of her family and friends.

District Attorney Savrnoch also highlighted the unique contributions in the prosecution of this case from 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 at the Rape of Youth & Incest National Network (RAINN) which can connect those in need with a local Rape Crisis Center or other area resources. For more information, call their 24/7 hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the RAINN website.

These additional Santa Barbara County resources are available for survivors of sexual crimes:

North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center (visit online here)