Raul Ochoa, 52, was arrested in August 2012, after his 27-year-old relative escaped from a shed in his backyard. The relative had been held captive at Ochoa’s residence for the past ten years. Ochoa will be formally sentenced to 22 years in state prison February 11.
Ten years ago, at a family member’s quinceañera, the 16-year old victim was dancing with a boy her age. Moments later, Raul Ochoa, a family relative, grabbed her and took her to his home, where should would remain for the next ten years of her life. Ochoa forced the victim to build a large shed in his backyard where she would live; it contained a bed, box spring, and a desk of some sort. He sexually assaulted the victim numerous times, per week, in the shed. Over the ten-year period the victim was not allowed to go to school and was barely allowed to leave the house. As she grew to be older, Ochoa let her do bookkeeping work for his landscaping business but was still closely monitored. Ochoa lived at this residence with his wife and children.
In August 2012, the victim told Ochoa that she had to use the bathroom. Instead, she got the courage to escape with the help of family members; they were waiting on the side of the house with a car. For the next three days she had been hiding from Ochoa while he tried desperately to find her, even threatening to kill her. The victim finally went to law enforcement and told them she was a runaway. Officer Peixoto told her that since she was 27 years old, she did not need permission to leave home. After further questioning, the victim began to trust him and told him everything.
Ochoa was arrested in August 2012 and pleaded guilty this past week to one count of forced lewd acts on a child and two counts of forcible rape. This deal was made with him as a way to keep the victim from having to testify in court. She is trying to put her life back together and move forward. Ochoa will receive 22 years in state prison once he is formally sentenced on February 11th.
Source:
NY Daily News, California man pleads guilty to holding relative as a sex slave for more than a decade, Joe Kemp, 1/31/2014
