Southern California man faces prison for raping his sister

A Southern California man was sentenced Thursday to prison for rape and sex crimes against his younger sister.

Stephen Delacruz, 37, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for crimes he committed when he was 14 and 15 against his sister, who was 8 at the time, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

In 2019, the victim, identified as Samantha J., went to the Oxnard Police Department to report the crimes that occurred in 2001 and 2002.

During the incidents, Delacruz isolated Samantha in their Oxnard home and threatened to kill her if she ever reported him, according to court documents.

Delacruz often carried a knife before the sexual assaults, authorities said.

The charges were initially filed with the Juvenile Court Prosecutor's Office, alleging Delacruz was a minor when the incidents occurred.

However, Deputy Prosecutor Erik Nasarenko sought to transfer the case from juvenile court to adult court, arguing that “the crimes involved significant sophistication and planning and were particularly violent and serious.”

The juvenile court judge agreed and transferred the case. However, in 2022, the state legislature changed the criteria that juvenile court judges had to consider when deciding whether to transfer a case to adult court.

“The new criteria required courts to determine “by clear and convincing evidence that the juvenile is not suitable for rehabilitation through the juvenile court,” officials noted.

That prompted a transfer hearing before another Ventura County judge applied the new criteria and found the case deserved to be transferred to adult court, saying “the allegations were horrific.”

Before the case went to trial, Delacruz pleaded guilty to all eight charges against him, including three counts of forcible rape, three counts of forcible oral copulation and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object. He also admitted specific allegations that the victim was under the age of 18.

“Samantha has shown great resilience and determination in her fight for justice and accountability in this case,” Nasarenko said. “To face his brother at today’s sentencing to give his victim impact statement took incredible strength and courage. »

Delacruz was sentenced to 30 years in state prison.