The teen was lost after leaving the Mid-State Fair at night in July 2022
PASO ROBLES — A Paso Robles man was sentenced to state prison for the crime of rape of an intoxicated victim. On the evening of July 21, 2022, the defendant preyed upon the teenage victim, who was only 16 and was alone, intoxicated, lost and crying when he observed her walking in his neighborhood, having left the Mid-State Fair on foot.
District Attorney Dan Dow announced that Jose Francis Hernandezgarcia of Paso Robles (26) has been convicted by his plea and sentenced to serve six years in state prison.
The crime occurred at night in a residential neighborhood near the Paso Robles Event Center, where the teenage victim had attended the California Mid-State Fair with her friends. The victim was alone, separated from her friends without her phone or wallet and was crying and worried about how to get home. The 26-year-old man observed the teenager was intoxicated and crying and spoke to her before he then brought her inside his home instead of offering to help get her home safely or to find her friends. Hernandezgarcia then raped the victim when she was in a state of intoxication, unaware of what was happening to her, and unable to resist his assault.
“My heart is broken for this young survivor who has been greatly affected by this violent crime committed against her,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “We thank her friends and family for promptly assisting her to seek medical attention and to report the crime to law enforcement. Intoxication by use of alcohol and other drugs can make a potential victim much more vulnerable than when they are sober. We encourage all victims of sexual violence to seek help and report to law enforcement so that we can fulfill our mission to aggressively and fairly prosecute crimes like this committed against vulnerable victims.”
