People v. Citalan CA4/2

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 9, 2020
DocketE072031
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Citalan CA4/2 (People v. Citalan CA4/2) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Citalan CA4/2, (Cal. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

Filed 12/9/20 P. v. Citalan CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION TWO

THE PEOPLE,

Plaintiff and Respondent, E072031

v. (Super.Ct.No. INF1601016)

MANUEL JONATAN PALENCIA OPINION CITALAN,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Otis Sterling III, Judge.

Affirmed as modified.

Diane E. Berley, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and

Appellant.

Xavier Becerra, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Arlene A. Sevidal, and Susan

Elizabeth Miller, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

1 FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On October 17, 2016, an amended information charged defendant and appellant

Manuel Jonatan Palencia Citalan with a lewd and lascivious act upon a child under the

age of 14 under Penal Code1 section 288, subdivision (a) (count 1); oral copulation with a

child under the age of 14 and more than 10 years younger than defendant under section

288a, subdivision (c)(1) (count 2); oral copulation or sexual penetration with a person

who is 10 years of age or younger under section 288.7, subdivision (b) (count 3);

committing a lewd and lascivious act upon a child under the age of 14, by use of force,

violence, duress, menace and fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury under section

288, subdivision (b)(1) (count 4); and felony false imprisonment under section 236 (count

5).

On November 16, 2017, a jury found defendant guilty of all charges.

On January 7, 2019, the trial court sentenced defendant to a total term of 17 years

as follows: the midterm of two years on count 5, and a consecutive indeterminate term of

15 years to life on count 3. The court also imposed, but stayed under section 654, a

determinate term of two years on count 1, two years on count 2, and two years eight

months on count 4.

1 All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.

2 On January 16, 2019, defendant filed a timely notice of appeal. On January 29,

2020, defendant filed a motion to strike the filing of his opening brief and to file an

amended opening brief, which was attached to the motion. On January 31, 2020, we

granted defendant’s motion. On April 9, 2020, defendant filed a motion to file a

supplemental brief; defendant attached a copy of the supplemental brief to the motion.

April 10, 2020, we granted defendant’s motion and directed the clerk to file the attached

supplemental brief. We also directed the parties to file supplemental respondent and

reply briefs.

B. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

1. PROSECUTION EVIDENCE

In July of 2016, D.R. (Mother) lived in Cathedral City with her five children.

Defendant was Mother’s cousin and lived in Colorado at the time. On July 28, 2016,

Mother allowed defendant to stay at her home because he was going to attend a religious

meeting in Los Angeles. The morning after defendant arrived, Mother’s son (Doe), who

was eight years old, went with defendant to visit family. They were gone for 10 to 11

hours. When they got home, defendant immediately left the house; he told Mother there

was an emergency and he had to leave.

After defendant left, Doe started to cry. He told Mother that defendant took him

to a bathroom and told Doe that defendant would give him a dollar if Doe “sucked his

dick.” Doe then took Mother and a maternal aunt to the bathroom where the incident

occurred. The bathroom was a Port-a-Potty located off a narrow path, near a lake and a

golf course in Cathedral City.

3 Mother called defendant, talked to him about what happened, and recorded the

conversation. When Mother asked defendant why he took Doe to the bathroom and why

he exposed himself, defendant replied, “One thing lead to another.” Defendant then said

that he was abused as a child. Defendant then begged Mother not to tell anyone.

Defendant went on to state that although he was abused, he was not “doing the things

because of that. I had always been curious and I’ve always tried to hold back because

I’m a pastor [Mother]. If anyone finds out about this, the whole world will fall on top of

me, [Mother].” Defendant asked for Mother’s forgiveness and said that if she forgave

defendant and taught Doe to forgive defendant, Doe would be better off. Although

defendant admitted that what he had done to Doe was wrong, he said he was at the

hospital because his blood pressure was high. He stated, “I’m really paying for what I

did and I’m—I’m with my conscience [sic] that it doesn’t make sense, really. I don’t feel

good, [Mother], really. Don’t think I’m a sleaze that—that did it and that—and that

already left and no, no. I’m dying right now, really, [Mother], I’m dying. But really, I

feel like I’m dying with this, [Mother], and I’m really paying for it.” He again asked for

Mother’s forgiveness and stated he would not do the same thing again. Mother told

defendant she would not forgive him. She then contacted the police.

Pursuant to a plan with the police, Mother contacted defendant. She told

defendant that she forgave him but said defendant should ask Doe for his forgiveness.

Defendant texted back stating he was going to kill himself. Mother convinced defendant

to meet up at a fast food restaurant. When they met, Mother was wearing a wire and the

conversation with defendant was recorded. Defendant told Doe that what he had done

4 was “so wrong” and asked for forgiveness. Then defendant told Doe not to tell anyone

what had happened. Police, who had been waiting nearby, came and arrested defendant.

The recorded conversation was played for the jury.

An interview between Doe and a Riverside Child Assessment Team (RCAT) was

recorded and played for the jury. In the interview, Doe’s statement was consistent with

what Mother told law enforcement. Defendant took Doe to a “plastic” bathroom off a

dirt road by a golf course and lake. Defendant locked the door and told Doe to sit down.

Doe wanted to get out, but defendant would not let Doe leave. When Doe was sitting on

the toilet, defendant pulled down defendant’s pants and underwear, and stuck his penis in

Doe’s mouth. Defendant told Doe to “suck my dick.” Defendant’s penis was “nasty” in

Doe’s mouth, and smelled “nasty,” which made Doe vomit. Defendant pulled up his

underwear and pants and they left the bathroom. Defendant told Doe not to tell anyone

what had transpired.

Doe’s testimony during the trial was consistent with what he told Mother and

during the RCAT interview.

2. DEFENSE EVIDENCE

Laura Lopez, a victim advocate with the Riverside County District’s Attorney’s

Office testified. Lopez testified that Mother had asked Lopez about obtaining a Uvisa. A

Uvisa is an immigration application available to crime victims. Lopez referred Mother to

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People v. Citalan CA4/2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-citalan-ca42-calctapp-2020.