56-year-old Soledad Man sentenced for child molestation
SOLEDAD, Calif.(KION) Judge sentenced Rosalio Rocha, 56, from Soledad to18 years in prison for molesting two children from Monterey and Los Angeles County. Both counts are considered violent felonies and "strikes" under California's Three Strike Law and Rocha was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
The investigation started in August 2020, according to the District Attorney's Office, after the victim told a friend that Rocha had molested her when she was 14 years old. The friend told another individual who reported it to Soledad Police Department.
After investigating, Detective Gustavo Gomez found that Rocha had molested another girl from Los Angeles County in 2008-2009. Her family had informed the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, but the county's District Attorney's office decided not to file charges in 2010. And so, Detective Gomez reopened the investigation in September 2020.
Los Angeles County DA's office agreed to cede jurisdiction over the molestation to Monterey County DA's office. This allowed the Monterey County DA to pursue charges for both victims.
Detective Gustavo Gomez, Officer Flores, and Sergeant Areola from the Soledad Police Department investigated the case. District Attorney Victim Witness Assistance Program Coordinator Alma Sanchez helped assist the victims.
