Santa Maria jury finds Brad Zach Berch guilty of felony false imprisonment of ex-girlfriend

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – On Jun. 12 of this year, a Santa Maria jury found Brad Zach Berch guilty of Felony False Imprisonment (PC 236) in connection with a domestic violence incident in June of 2022.

That Santa Maria jury also found that Berch personally inflicted great bodily injury on the woman involved referred to as Jane Doe in court documents shared the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

On Jun. 16, 2022, Berch visited Jane Doe's residence to discuss their relationship stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, Jane Doe agreed to ride with Berch in his truck, but found herself subjected to erratic driving and verbal abuse.

Despite her repeated pleas to stop and let her out, Berch refused and continued to circle Jane Doe's street several times detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

While Berch slowed to make a U-turn, Jane Doe removed her seatbelt and opened the passenger door to escape explained the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

In response, Berch made a sudden left turn at an unsafe speed and Jane Doe was thrown from her seat and into the road sustaining a compression fracture to her spine, severe bruising, and prolonged difficulty walking detailed the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

A good samaritan rendered aid and called law enforcement stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

During the trial, Jane Doe recounted previous incidents of domestic violence from 2015 to 2020, "illustrating a pattern of physical abuse, intimidation, and manipulation by Berch aimed at coercing her [Jane Doe] into remaining in the relationship" stated a press release about the conviction from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

Following the guilty verdict, a request for remand by the prosecuting attorney was denied and Berch remains out on supervised release shared the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, Berch is currently scheduled to for sentencing on Jul. 23, 2024, in Santa Maria Superior Court where he faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

If you or somebody you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the Domestic Violence Solutions of Santa Barbara County's 24-hour crisis hotline at 805-964-5245 or visit their website.