SANTA ANA, Calif. — A sentencing hearing in an attempted murder case exposed deep and irreconcilable divisions within one family Tuesday as the victim accused the convicted man of abusing his daughter, only for the daughter to take the courtroom moments later and insist the allegations were false before the judge imposed a reduced sentence under a plea agreement.
The man was charged with several felonies, including attempted murder, assault with a firearm and criminal threats. However, he signed a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to all charges in exchange for a reduced seven-year prison sentence.
Deputy District Attorney Peter DeYoung told the court that the victims were present and had requested an opportunity to address the court before sentencing.
The man who had been shot at by the offender said his entire life had changed because of the harm inflicted on his family. The victim claimed the entire family lives in fear that the convicted felon may send someone else to attack them.
The victim accused the offender, who was dating the victim’s daughter at the time, of hitting her and yelling at her. He said the man had “taken away her innocence” and sent the family videos of the relationship between them.
The victim also claimed the harassment extended to his younger daughter, who has Down syndrome.
Public Defender Miles Jessup asked that the victim remain focused on the charged offenses, but Judge Larry Yellin overruled the objection, finding that the statements addressed the “motivation” behind the crimes.
The male victim argued the plea agreement was unfair because it significantly reduced the man’s sentence, leaving the family fearful of his release after seven years.
The victim’s wife also addressed the court, saying she was not comfortable with the sentence because of the harm the individual had caused their family.
The wife, who was also a victim of the threats, recounted the offender threatening to “send” her husband to “be dead with [his] brother.” She asserted he showed no remorse after her husband’s mother died and even claimed he was happy that she had died.
Before the sentence was imposed, DeYoung informed the court that the daughter also wished to make a statement.
The daughter told the court she does not fear him. She contended the allegations that he hit and yelled at her were lies told by her parents. She maintained the offender would never try to rape her and that what he did was not intentional.
The offender stood in the holding cell smiling and nodding his head during her statement.
After speaking, the daughter quietly returned to her seat two rows behind her parents.
The sharply conflicting statements underscored how difficult courts can face evaluating competing narratives from people closest to a criminal case.
While it came as a surprise that the victim of a man who pleaded guilty argued in his defense, such cases can present complicated dynamics in which victims or those close to them may defend individuals accused or convicted of harming them.
As the family told the court, they continue to fear the possibility of retaliation by another offender or by the convicted man he is released.
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