The man who attempted to flee from sheriff’s custody after a jury found him guilty of rape in January was officially changed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney‘s Office on Wednesday for his escape.
Arian Eteghaei, 23, a former UC Santa Barbara student, was charged with a felony count of escape by force or violence and a special allegation for escaping from the courthouse while being transported to jail.
In January, a Santa Barbara jury found Eteghaei guilty of sexual penetration with a foreign object and domestic violence battery against his ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe H.O.C., and forcible rape against a woman identified as Jane Doe M.E.
The jury was deadlocked on 14 other counts after the three-month trial, where Eteghaei faced allegations of sexual assault related to six victims.
After his conviction in January, deputies handcuffed Eteghaei and walked him from the courtroom to a secure facility to await transportation to the jail. He ran from the back door of the Figueroa Courthouse’s basement floor toward State Street.
Noozhawk reporter Pricila Flores was downtown for an unrelated meeting and captured video of Eteghaei being apprehended by bailiffs about a block from the courthouse.
One bailiff grabbed him but struggled to get control until another bailiff arrived at the scene. Two bystanders also appeared to help the bailiffs hold Eteghaei on the ground.
Santa Barbara County sheriff‘s records state that law enforcement personnel suffered minor injuries and damage to uniforms during the incident.
Eteghaei, who was a first-year student at UCSB in 2020-21, was arrested and criminally charged in August 2021 for alleged assaults on three women.
During the investigation, three more women came forward and reported that they had been assaulted by Eteghaei, according to authorities.
Each alleged victim was identified anonymously as Jane Doe plus initials in court. Many of them testified against him during the trial.
Eteghaei also testified in his own defense.
A month after the verdict, prosecutors told the judge that they will not retry the deadlocked charges.
Eteghaei is scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. next Wednesday in Figueroa Courthouse Department 8 for his arraignment related to the charge of escaping.
He is being held in Santa Barbara County jail without bail because of his rape conviction.
His sentencing in that case is set for April 8, and he faces 30 years to life in state prison, according to prosecutors.