Latest news with #MontereyCountyDistrictAttorney'sOffice
CBS News
16-04-2025
- CBS News
Nurse found guilty of child molestation in Monterey County, faces life sentence
A Scotts Valley nurse faces life imprisonment after being found guilty of child molestation, according to Monterey County prosecutors. Travis Harris, 40, was convicted by a jury of eight counts of lewd act on a child ages 14 or 15, six counts of lewd act on a child under 14, one count of oral copulation of a child 10 or under, one count of contacting a minor for purposes of committing a sex offense, two counts of sending harmful material to a minor, two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, one count of using a minor for sex acts, and two counts of providing cannabis to a minor over 14, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Tuesday. Prosecutors said Harris met a girl online on the Reddit platform in September 2022. At the time, he was 38 years old, and she was 15 years old. After talking online for approximately a week, they met in person and had sex, according to prosecutors. Harris, who was aware that she was only 15, met her many times at various locations over the next few months, engaging in sex acts with her. "He also sent her lingerie, sex toys and adult clothing through He also sent her nude photographs of himself and took photos and video of the two of them engaged in sexual intercourse," the District Attorney's Office said. After a while, Harris asked the girl to get her young friends to have sex with him and told her about his sexual fantasies. He also told her about a 9-year-old girl who previously lived in his household and described being naked with that child, and seemed sexually excited by it, prosecutors said. "After seeing a news story about the defendant's arrest, that child, Jane Doe 2, now a young adult, came forward to police and disclosed that the defendant had molested her when she was 9 years old," prosecutors said. Harris faces a maximum sentence of 51 years and four months to life in prison. Prosecutors said he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
East Bay man facing more than 100 years to life over 'daylong crime spree'
The Brief A 37-year-old Pittsburg man is facing up to 100 years to life in prison for a daylong crime spree in Monterey and San Benito Counties The man has prior violent felony convictions, including two strikes under California's Three Strikes Law SALINAS, Calif. - After his most recent conviction for a September 2023 crime spree, an East Bay man is facing a possible sentence of 100 years to life in prison. Tele Matangi was recently convicted of carjacking, residential burglary, first-degree robbery, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and hit-and-run. Judge Jennifer O'Keefe ruled on Tuesday that the Pittsburg man had two prior strike convictions that fell under the state's three-strikes law, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. Because of these prior strike convictions, the 37-year-old is facing more than 100 years to life in prison. Matangi was convicted by a jury on Friday on the multiple charges from the 2023 crime spree, the DA's office said. He has been booked into custody at the Monterey County Jail since his arrest on Sept. 18, 2023. The backstory The crime spree began on Sept. 18, 2023, when Matangi crashed a car through a locked gate near Gonzales High School's parking lot. After abandoning the car, he carjacked a nearby driver at gunpoint, DA officials said. He drove that stolen car northbound to Highway 156 near its intersection with Highway 101 near Prunedale. Around 40 minutes later, Matangi caused a collision when he turned into oncoming traffic from Highway 101 southbound traffic's off-ramp into Highway 156's westbound lanes. Officials said after crashing the stolen car, he fired multiple shots at a good Samaritan who stopped at the scene to help those involved. One of the shots hit the Samaritan's car. Running to the nearby Park and Ride parking lot, Matangi approached a man sitting in his car and pointed a gun at him, attempting to carjack him. However, officials said Matangi could not get that car to start. Matangi then ran across the street and broke into a home after ripping the window screen and climbing through the window. When inside, he pointed his gun at a resident before stealing their car keys at gunpoint, the DA's office said. He then drove the car into Aromas in San Benito County. In Aromas, he abandoned the second stolen car and stole a golf cart. He dumped the golf cart at one property and hid in a storage unit at another, DA officials said. The owners of the storage unit found Matangi inside and told him to leave. Matangi left, and while walking around in San Bentio County, a sheriff's deputy tried to speak with him, but Matangi brandished a gun to the officer, the DA's office said. Monterey County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and assisted the San Benito County sheriff's deputies in arresting Matangi. The East Bay man was found to be possessing a small baggie of meth, keys to the last stolen car, and a semiautomatic firearm with multiple magazines with live ammunition. According to the DA's office, Matangi had prior convictions for carjacking and robbery, prohibiting possessing guns. What's next Matangi will be sentenced on May 29. The Source Monterey County District Attorney's Office
CBS News
19-03-2025
- CBS News
Pittsburg man faces 100 years to life sentence for daylong Monterey County crime spree
A Pittsburg man faces over 100 years to life in prison after he was found guilty of multiple charges for a daylong crime spree in September 2023, according to prosecutors. Tele Matangi, 37, was convicted of carjacking, attempted carjacking, residential burglary, first-degree robbery, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and hit-and-run, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Tuesday. Authorities said that on Sept. 18, 2023, Matangi was driving in the Gonzales High School parking lot when he crashed through a locked gate near the stadium of the school, damaging it. He abandoned his vehicle near the school and carjacked a nearby driver at gunpoint. He drove northbound to state Highway 156 near its intersection with U.S. Highway 101 in the Prunedale area. Authorities said around 40 minutes later, Matangi collided after turning into oncoming traffic from Highway 101 southbound traffic's off-ramp into the westbound lanes of Highway 156. After crashing the vehicle he stole, Matangi left it on Highway 156. Prosecutors said he fired his gun at a concerned citizen who stopped near the collision site to help everyone involved. One of Matangi's shots struck the victim's car. Authorities said Matangi fled on foot to a nearby Park and Ride parking lot where he approached a man sitting in his vehicle. He pointed a firearm at the man and attempted to carjack him, but he could not get the vehicle to start. Matangi broke into a home across the street by ripping a window screen and climbing through the window. Once inside, he pointed his firearm at a resident of the home and stole the resident's car keys at gunpoint. Matangi then fled with the vehicle into the San Benito County area of Aromas. In Aromas, Matangi abandoned the vehicle and stole a golf cart. He then abandoned it at a nearby property and hid in an Aromas resident's storage unit. The homeowners found him hiding in their storage unit and told him to leave. Authorities said that soon after, a San Benito County sheriff's deputy saw Matangi walking on southbound Carpenteria Road. As the deputy followed, Matangi brandished a firearm at him. Eventually, deputies from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office helped the San Benito deputy in arresting Matangi. They found in his possession a .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm, multiple magazines with live ammunition, a small plastic bag of methamphetamine, and keys to the car he stole last. On Friday, a Monterey County Superior Court jury also found Matangi guilty of personally using a firearm during the commission of many of his offenses. On Tuesday, the court ruled that Matangi had two prior "strike" convictions within the meaning of California's Three Strikes Law. Due to his prior violent felony convictions for robbery and carjacking, he was prohibited from possessing firearms. Matangi will be sentenced on May 29. Due to his past convictions, prosecutors say he could get more than 100 years to life in prison.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Inmate sentenced to life for ‘sexual help' nurse assault: Monterey County D.A.
(KRON) — A Salinas Valley State Prison inmate was sentenced to 25 years to life for sexually assaulting a nurse on prison grounds after he told her he needed 'sexual help,' announced the Monterey County District Attorney's Office on Friday. The full incident was captured on surveillance video. Oakland man arrested in San Jose police retail theft operation Tyrone Owens, 41, was sentenced as a third-strike offender, under California's Three Strikes Law, for the attack which occurred almost two years ago on March 23, 2023, said D.A. Jeannine M. Pacioni. Owens was already serving a seventeen-year sentence for a separate, but similar incident, the D.A.'s office confirmed. The D.A. said Owens was walking in a facility of the prison yard when he confronted the nurse, identified as 'Jane Doe,' asking for 'help.' While the victim was responding, Owens told her he needed 'sexual help,' then chased, grabbed her, and 'tried to put his hand down her pants,' said Pacioni. 'Jane Doe' was able to break free from Owens before prison guards showed up to intervene. Owens will not begin his life term until he completes his previous sentence which started in 2019. The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said Investigative Service Unit officers from Salinas Valley State Prison assisted in the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
