WESTMINSTER (CNS) - A 27-year-old Santa Ana man was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison for attempting to rape a 75-year-old woman in a Tustin church parking lot.
Fernando Valdovinos was convicted Feb. 21 in a non-jury bench trial in the West Justice Center in Westminster of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, sexual penetration by foreign object and force, attempted forcible rape, carjacking and car theft, all felonies.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Lance Jensen also found true sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury on an elder and inflicting great bodily injury in the commission of certain sex offenses.
Valdovinos was given credit for 1,254 days in custody and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to court records.
Police were called at 10:30 a.m. May 1, 2020, to 600 W. Sixth St. to help a partially nude, unresponsive woman in the bushes near a parking lot. The victim had "extensive facial injuries," police said.
[iframe https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2368.766654139754!2d-122.40685208468177!3d37.79281007975612!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8085808bae6c2875%3A0x8ae32cd8782330a4!2s600%20California!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1682726389867!5m2!1sen!2sus allowfullscreen="" height="450" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" style="border:0" width="600"]The victim was rushed to a hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition, police said.
Police suspect the woman was attacked the night before and was left in the parking lot until she was found about 14 hours later.
Valdovinos struck the victim multiple times in the face before sexually assaulting her, and after the attack, he and a 16-year-old girl stole the victim's vehicle, police said.
Valdovinos was arrested a few days after the attack when officers spotted three people in the victim's stolen car, according to Tustin police.
Valdovinos pleaded guilty in July 2019 to car theft, possession of burglary tools and driving without a valid license -- all misdemeanors -- and was on three years of probation, according to court records.
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