A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in state prison after pleading guilty to a variety of charges, including attempted murder and assault with intent to commit rape.
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Brian Hill sentenced Fidel Lorenzana Lopez on Tuesday.
According to a news release by District Attorney Joyce Dudley, Lopez committed his crimes on Sept. 29, 2020, after he met a women — identified as Jane Doe — at a 7-Eleven in Goleta, offered to buy her alcohol, and then lured her to a remote area.
A clerk at the store denied the woman service because she was not wearing a mask. Lopez then purchased alcohol for the women, but only offered to her on the condition that she drink with him at his favorite location, according to prosecutors.
He took her to a parking lot area of a Goleta business that was overgrown with trees and shrubs.
After having a few drinks, Lopez asked the woman to go to an even more remote area with him, but she declined.
“Defendant took Jane Doe’s phone and dragged her to an area farther from the … parking lot, where he told Jane Doe he was going to kill her,” the news release states. “Defendant then attacked Jane Doe and attempted to rape her. Throughout the attack, Jane Doe vehemently fought the defendant. Eventually, he gave up attempting to rape her and started to strangle her. Again, Jane Doe bravely fought and screamed.”
A good Samaritan heard the woman scream and observed the two fighting.
“This Good Samaritan yelled out, and Jane Doe was able to run away from the defendant toward (the business), where employees helped her and called the police. Defendant fled from the scene and was apprehended a few miles away,” the news release states.
The woman told prosecuting attorney Lauren Franco that Lopez got what he deserves because he destroyed her life.
“She noted that it will not be easy for her to forget what he did to her, and she thanks God that she is still here with her family. Jane Doe also expressed her thanks to the people who helped her that night,” the news release states.
Lopez entered guilty pleas to numerous felony counts, including attempted murder in the second degree, assault with intent to commit rape, kidnapping, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, felony sexual battery, robbery, and dissuasion of a witness.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.