An 11-year-old girl’s Christmas night turned into a crime scene in San Joaquin County, and now the man responsible will never walk free. On Friday, Eugenio Reyes was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life in state prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting the child on Christmas night. Prosecutors said Reyes lured the girl into a vehicle near her home, drove her to his residence, and sexually assaulted her multiple times before she managed to escape into an unfamiliar neighborhood, where a bystander called police. The conviction followed a 2024 trial and was announced by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
Local outlets reported on the sentencing after prosecutors went public with the result. FOX40 published the district attorney’s statement and quoted District Attorney Ron Freitas as saying that “this defendant didn’t just steal a child’s innocence; he hunted it on Christmas night.” The office also credited Deputy District Attorney Carrie Lawrence for prosecuting the case and securing a punishment that will keep Reyes behind bars for the rest of his life.
How prosecutors say the attack unfolded
According to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors alleged that on Christmas night Reyes approached the young victim near her home, persuaded her to get into his vehicle and took her to his house, where the assaults occurred. The girl eventually escaped and ran through an unfamiliar neighborhood until a bystander intervened and contacted law enforcement, the DA’s announcement said. Investigators later credited that quick intervention, along with subsequent police work, with leading to Reyes’s arrest and the successful prosecution.
Sentence and court findings
Authorities said a jury convicted Reyes on multiple counts, and a separate-occurrences finding at trial allowed the judge to impose maximum consecutive terms, resulting in three life sentences without the possibility of parole. As reported by FOX40, prosecutors argued that the assaults took place on separate occasions, which triggered the consecutive sentencing structure. The district attorney’s office described the outcome as ensuring the defendant will remain in prison for life.
Resources for survivors
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office pointed to its victim-assistance programs and Family Justice Center as resources for survivors and families seeking support. Information on those services is available on the office’s website at the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. The office also encourages anyone with information that could be relevant to this case to contact local law enforcement as outlined in its announcement…