A former UCSB fraternity member who was convicted of raping a “blacked out” intoxicated woman in 2017 was sentenced on Friday to six years in state prison.
A Santa Barbara Superior Court jury in December found Higinio Gonzalez Machorro, 28, guilty of sexually assaulting the woman, identified in court only as Jane Doe.
“After the defendant raped Jane Doe, he attempted to conceal his crime and continued to take advantage of Jane Doe’s lack of memory by lying and manipulating evidence to evade detection,” according to a press release from Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Gonzalez Machorro invited Jane Doe to a party on July 4, 2017, at a residence that he shared with other fraternity members in Isla Vista.
Gonzalez Machorro and Jane Doe were friends, and she “considered the defendant someone she could trust,” the DA’s Office said.
But that turned out not to be the case.
Witnesses at the trial confirmed that Jane Doe was “blacked out” at the party.
A friend attempted to escort Jane Doe and her boyfriend home, the DA’s Office said, but Gonzalez Machorro told this witness that he would take care of her.
He instead took Jane Doe into his apartment, “violated his position of trust, and took advantage of Jane Doe’s vulnerable position,” the DA’s Office said.
She reported the rape shortly after it occurred, Savarnoch told Noozhawk.
Gonzalez Machorro denied having sex with her, but DNA evidence showed otherwise, and he was arrested and charged in February 2020.
The criminal-justice process took seven years because of the lengthy investigation — including the DNA analysis — and the slowdown of the court system due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Savarnoch said.
“There was follow up investigation and DNA testing that resulted in the case not being filed until 2020,” Savrnoch said. ” That was right in the heart of COVID related slowdowns in the criminal justice system.”
After the DNA evidence came back, Gonzalez Machorro claimed the sex was consensual.
“The jurors were able to see through the false claim and found the defendant guilty,” the news release stated.
“This outcome would not have been possible without the courage and strength of Jane Doe who persevered through unimaginable physical, mental, and emotional trauma,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Megan Chanda, who prosecuted the case.
“It was Jane Doe’s steadfastness in her pursuit of justice that made this possible.”
In a statement, the District Attorney’s Office said it deeply appreciates the hard work of advocates with UCSB CARES, Victim Advocate Samantha Zaragoza, and attorney Monique Fierro for being “a constant source of support for Jane Doe.”
Gonzalez Machorro remained in county jail without bail on Saturday pending transfer to prison.
The name of Gonzalez’s fraternity was not disclosed.
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