A California man has been found guilty of molesting and assaulting a young girl at a family birthday party, to which prosecutors said he showed up as a “stranger.”
Sonny Velasco, 33, of Salinas, was convicted of one count of assault with the intent to commit a lewd or lascivious act involving a child younger than 14, one count of indecent exposure during an unlawful entry of an inhabited dwelling and one count of resisting a peace officer, according to prosecutors.
The guilty verdicts were returned on Monday, September 14, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release shared the following day.
During a family birthday party hosted at a Salinas home more than two years ago, Velasco allegedly entered the residence and approached a 7-year-old girl who was on a couch. Salinas is located about a 105-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.
He exposed his genitals to the child and “asked her to perform sexual acts on him,” the district attorney’s office said.
When the girl refused, Velasco was accused of grabbing her wrist.
She ultimately broke away from Velasco and fled to her mother, revealing there was a stranger in the home and what had just occurred, according to prosecutors.
Home surveillance footage filmed Velasco going inside the residence and leaving, prosecutors said.
When he was ultimately caught by law enforcement, Velasco allegedly threatened a Salinas officer.
The incident occurred in April 2024, according to KSBW.
Following Velasco’s arrest, Salinas police officer Gabe Gonzalez told the TV station, “This is obviously a very scary moment for the family and this little girl.”
Two of the three charges Velasco was convicted of are “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes Law, according to prosecutors.
The state law increases penalties for a person who has previously been found guilty of at least one “serious” or “violent” felony, referred to as a “strike,” according to the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office.
A defendant convicted of a third serious or violent felony will face 25 years to life in prison.
Velasco is facing up to nine years and eight months in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October 27.
Velasco will be ordered to register as a sex offender at the hearing, the district attorney’s office said.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
