Man Convicted Of Assaulting Boy, 9, With Lightsaber
FULLERTON (CBS) — A 19-year-old man was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy with a toy lightsaber in Santa Ana in 2008.
Javier Enrique Perez, who was 16 years old at the time of the attack but was charged as an adult, was convicted of felony sexual penetration with a foreign object, felony aggravated sexual assault of a child with a foreign object and two felony counts of forcible lewd acts on a child, according to Deputy District Attorney Jana Hoffmann.
The jury also found true sentencing enhancements for lewd acts on multiple children and substantial sexual conduct with a child, Hoffmann said.
Perez faces 30 years to life in prison, according to the prosecutor with sentencing scheduled for July 22.
The victim's mother dropped the boy off at a Santa Ana home about 5 p.m. on July 16, 2008, so he could be watched while she was at work, Hoffmann said.
Perez was at the home at the time, along with Oscar Antoniel Arreola, then 19 years old, a 12-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy, Hoffmann said.
Perez then held down and assaulted the 9-year-old boy with a toy lightsaber.
When the 9-year-old's mother picked him up about 9 p.m., he told her what happened, Hoffmann said. The mother took her son to a doctor a few days later, but he did not suffer any permanent physical injuries, according to Hoffmann.
Perez told the other boys to not tell anyone what happened, the prosecutor said.
Arreola pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of probation, according to court records.
Arreola testified during Perez's trial, but was not given any sort of deal in his prosecution in exchange for his testimony, Hoffmann said.
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