West Sacramento man sentenced for sexually abusing two girls, Yolo DA says
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- A Yolo Superior Court judge sentenced Enrique Urbina Mendoza for child sexual abuse.
- Prosecutors said the West Sacramento man sexually abused two girls.
- One of the victims spoke in court during Urbina Mendoza’s sentencing.
A Yolo Superior Court judge last week sentenced a West Sacramento man who sexually abused two girls between the ages of 7 and 11 years old, prosecutors said.
Judge Paul Richardson on Jan. 9 sentenced Enrique Urbina Mendoza to 12 years in prison followed by 25 years to life in prison for the child sexual abuse that occurred over the course of decades, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday in a news release.
Prosecutors said the children sexually abused victims were Urbina Mendoza’s relatives, and he groomed the children and subjected them to repeated sexual abuse.
“The defendant took advantage of his position of trust within the family to sexually abuse multiple generations of vulnerable children,” District Attorney Jeff Reisig said in the news release. “We are in awe of the victims’ courage to come forward, endure the lengthy criminal justice system process and testify in front of their abuser.”
After a trial In October, a jury found Urbina Mendoza guilty of two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Prosecutors said his conviction included sentencing enhancements for sexually abusing multiple children.
Court records show the jury found Urbina Mendoza not guilty of seven counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 years old.
Prosecutors said one of the victims spoke at Urbina Mendoza’s sentencing hearing, telling the judge “the pain will never leave” her after suffering repeated sexual abuse. She said the abuse has caused long-term damage that she and her family will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
“His actions violated not only our family’s trust, but the most basic responsibility an adult has — to protect children, not harm them. I want the court to understand that this harm is real and permanent. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment,” she said in court, according to prosecutors. “I stand here today with my head held high, reclaiming the voice that was taken from me as a child. I will no longer be silenced by fear. I speak not out of anger but out of truth.”
