A 32-year-old man was sentenced to eight years in state prison after being found guilty of rape during a summer jury trial in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, county District Attorney John Savrnoch said.

Jose Luis Lua Manzo of Santa Maria was found guilty on Aug. 16 of forcible rape and rape of an unconscious or asleep person, both felonies.

The charges stem from the defendant’s rape of a young adult woman on Aug. 4, 2021, in Santa Maria.

While the woman was sleeping in her own bedroom, the defendant entered and began to rape her. When she woke up, the woman told the defendant to stop, but he did not. 

She fled her home after the rape and reported the crime to the Santa Maria Police Department.

On Tuesday, Judge John McGregor sentenced the defendant to the maximum term possible for the offenses, “finding that the sentence was warranted because the circumstances of the crime showed a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness; the defendant took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the rape; and Jane Doe was particularly vulnerable,” Savrnoch said.

Savrnoch noted that the defendant could not have been held accountable “for this heinous crime without Jane Doe’s bravery and strength and the unwavering support of her friends and family.”

He also credited the dedication and skill of Santa Maria Police Department Detectives Ronald Murillo and Jesse Garcia, forensic nurses, criminalists from the California Department of Justice, the Bureau of Forensic Services and Deputy District Attorney Steven Li for helping ensure justice for the woman.

For anyone affected by sexual assault/abuse, help is available. The Rape of Youth & Incest National Network (RAINN) can connect people to a local rape crisis center or to other resources available in the area.

For more information, call its 24/7 hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE (1.800.656.4673) or visit the RAINN website at rainn.org.

The following agencies in Santa Barbara County are also available to assist:

North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center , with the website available by clicking here. To reach the Santa Maria office, call 805.922.2994. For the Lompoc office, call 805.736.8535. 

Standing Together to End Sexual Assault in Santa Barbara can be reached by calling 805.963.6832 or going to the website at sbstesa.org/.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.