People v. Dominguez CA4/1

California Court of Appeal·Decided February 10, 2015·No. D066978·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 2/10/15 P. v. Dominguez CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D066978 Plaintiff and Respondent, v. (Super. Ct. No. RIF1201430)

ADAN SANDOVAL DOMINGUEZ, Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Riverside County, Eric G.

Helgesen, Judge. Affirmed as modified; remanded with directions for resentencing.

Jennifer Peabody, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Dane R. Gillette, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, Barry Carlton and James H. Flaherty III, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

A jury convicted Adan Sandoval Dominguez of four counts of committing a lewd act on a child with force, violence, or duress (Pen. Code,1 § 288, subd. (b)(1); counts 2, 4, 6, 7); one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child (oral copulation) (§ 269, subd. (a)(4); count 1); one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child (penetration) (§ 269, subd. (a)(5); count 3); and committing a lewd act on a child (§ 288, subd. (a); count 5.) The jury also found true, as to all counts, Dominguez committed the crimes against more than one victim within the meaning of section 667.61, subdivision (e)(5). The court sentenced Dominguez to prison for 90 years to life.

Dominguez appeals, contending: (1) the trial court erred when it found him competent to stand trial; (2) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction under count 4 for violating section 288, subdivision (b)(1); (3) his due process rights were violated when the court sentenced him under the amendments to the One Strike law (§667.61); (4) the trial court erred when it imposed One Strike sentences on counts 5 and 6; (5) his sentence for count 5 was improper because the jury made no findings as to his probation eligibility; and (6) the abstract of judgment must be corrected to reflect the sentence actually imposed by the court.

We agree that the evidence was insufficient to support Dominguez's conviction under count 4 for violating section 288, subdivision (b)(1). However, the evidence was sufficient to convict Dominguez under section 288, subdivision (a) as to count 4. We thus modify the judgment accordingly. In addition, we are persuaded that the court

1 Statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise specified.

improperly sentenced him under the One Strike law without realizing that it had the discretion to run Dominguez's sentences under section 288, subdivision (b)(1) consecutively or concurrently. As such, we remand this matter to the trial court for resentencing consistent with this opinion. The trial court is to enter a new abstract of judgment to conform to Dominguez's new sentence. We conclude that Dominguez's other contentions are without merit.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Crimes Against Maria

Maria was 19 years old at the time of trial. At the age of five, Maria often attended family gatherings at the home of her grandparents. Dominguez, Maria's uncle, was often present. He began molesting her at these family gatherings.

Maria testified that the first act of molestation occurred in her grandmother's bedroom. As Maria was playing, Dominguez came in and told her to put on a dress. Dominguez said that Maria's dad would be angry if she refused. After Maria complied, Dominguez forced her down onto the bed, pulled off her underwear and began orally copulating her. Maria was afraid and asked Dominguez to stop. Dominguez responded that "it was natural. It's what adults do." Dominguez stopped when Maria's father knocked on the door.

For the next seven years, Dominguez routinely molested Maria. Whenever Maria saw Dominguez, he would attempt to kiss her, force his tongue into her mouth, and rub his leg against her vagina. Sometimes Dominguez would remove his penis from his shorts and instruct Maria to look at it. Dominguez would tell Maria that she was

beautiful and that he loved her. On one occasion, as Maria was playing with her cousin Stephanie, Dominguez entered the room, closed the door, lay down on the bed and "grabbed himself." Dominguez instructed the girls to kiss and touch each other's vaginas.

Crimes Against Nancy

Nancy was 20 years old at the time of trial. As a child, Nancy often attended family gatherings where Dominguez, her uncle, was present. Dominguez began molesting Nancy when she was eight.

While visiting Dominguez 's home at age eight, Nancy sat in the living room to watch television. Everyone else was in the kitchen. Dominguez came in, sat down next to Nancy and instructed her to bend over the armrest so that he could give her a massage. Scared of Dominguez, who had previously hit her, Nancy complied. Dominguez put his hand into Nancy's pants and touched the skin of her vagina.

When Nancy was 11, Dominguez came over to her house and asked for a "tour."

When the tour reached the study, Dominguez asked Nancy if she had ever been kissed. When Nancy replied no, Dominguez asked if he could kiss her. Although Nancy had declined, Dominguez kissed her anyway. He used his tongue. Dominguez also asked Nancy to "look at the piece of paper." When she did, Nancy saw Dominguez's exposed penis.

Later the same day, Dominguez forced Nancy to bend over a couch in the living room. He then touched the skin of her vagina with his hand. Dominguez next grabbed Nancy's hand, put it into his pants, and forced her to rub his penis. Nancy testified that

Dominguez told her not to tell, or "bad things would happen." Finally, Nancy stated that Dominguez routinely hugged her and told her he loved her.

Crimes Against Stephanie

Stephanie was 20 years old at the time of trial. As a child, Stephanie often attended family gatherings where Dominguez, her uncle, was present. Dominguez began molesting Stephanie when she was about six years old.

While Stephanie was visiting Dominguez's home when she was six, Dominguez told her to go outside and come around to his bedroom window. When Stephanie complied and arrived at the window, Dominguez "pulled" her up and through the window. Although her parents were present at the house, Stephanie was alone with Dominguez in his bedroom. Sitting on Dominguez's bed, Stephanie's pants were pulled down (she could not recall by whom) to her ankles and Dominguez digitally penetrated her. Dominguez removed his fingers and "licked them." Stephanie testified that although she did not fear Dominguez, she did not want to be touched by Dominguez and was confused by it.

Stephanie testified that a couple of years later she was driving with Dominguez, alone, on the freeway. As Dominguez drove, he reached over to her in the passenger seat, and touched her vagina over her clothing. Stephanie did not want Dominguez to touch her.

Dominguez's Confession

Dominguez made numerous incriminating statements to police, which were introduced to the jury during the testimony of Riverside County Sheriff Investigator Joel

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