San Diego man sentenced to 30 years in state prison for various sex crimes against sister Thursday
VENTURA, Calif. – Ventura County District Attorney Erik Narasenko announced a 30-year prison sentence for Stephen Delacruz after various sex crimes against his sister, according to the VC DA's Office.
The 37-year-old San Diego native previously pled guilty to eight felonies related to sex crimes against his sister who was under 18 years old at the time, one of several special allegations detailed the VC DA's Office.
The victim initially came forward in 2019 to the Oxnard Police Department saying that her brother had raped her when she was eight years old, explained the VC DA's Office.
The VC DA's Office first filed charges in juvenile court as Delacruz was 14 and 15 at the time of the crimes in 2001 and 2002. Narasenko then asked to move the trial to adult court from juvenile court due to its severity and sophistication required.
The San Diego native threatened the victim with a knife if she ever talked about the crimes even going as far as to say he would kill her in their home in Oxnard, according to the VC DA's Office.
After multiple transfers back and forth from juvenile court to adult court, Delacruz finally pled guilty to the following charges before the case went to trial, explained the VC DA's Office:
Charges pled guilty to:
- 3 counts) PC 261(a)(2) – Forcible rape
- (3 counts) PC 287(c)(2)(a) – Forcible oral copulation
- (2 counts) 289(a)(1) – Sexual penetration by foreign object
Special Allegations - PC 801.1(a) – Victim under 18 years of age
