Greenfield man caught with gallons of wine in jail cell toilet sentenced to prison

A Greenfield man was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to committing domestic violence, making criminal threats, manufacturing prison wine, and resisting arrest.

According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, 33-year-old Juan Rojas was on probation back in January of 2016 for assaulting a woman. Rojas probation officer went to Rojas mother’s house and that’s when the 33-year-old became enraged. Rojas believed his girlfriend was responsible for the parole officer going to the house and began beating her up in front of her 4-year-old child.

“When Jane Doe tried to call 911, he broke her cell phone. He then threw her to the floor, kicked her, and threatened to kill her. Jane Doe was visibly injured in the attack; her mouth was cut and still bleeding when officers arrived,” said Deputy District Attorney, Robin Duffy.

On May 21, 2016 a Greenfield Police Officer spotted Rojas riding a bike and knew he had two felony warrants for his arrest. Rojas dropped the bike and fled the scene. During a pursuit the officer said Rojas tossed his jacket and an unidentified black metal object.

The officer tased Rojas and arrested him.

While Rojas was in custody at the Monterey County Jail, deputies found 2.5 gallons of prison wine, inside a trash bag concealed in Rojas’ jail cell toilet.

Rojas was sentenced to 9 years in state prison and was issued a criminal protective order to keep him from contacting the victim for the next ten years. The judge also imposed five years and eight months to be run concurrently for a separate domestic violence conviction Rojas sustained in 2014.

If you or a loved one are experiencing domestic violence and need assistance, call the YWCA at 831-372-6300 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).