PASO ROBLES, Calif. — A San Luis Obispo County jury has convicted Jose Manuel Venturagarcia on all 24 counts in an abuse case involving three children and an adult woman in Paso Robles, prosecutors announced.
Read the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney release: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/november/jury-convicts-man-of-sexually-abusing-three-children-and-raping-a-woman
District Attorney Dan Dow announced the verdict on November 5, 2026, according to the release.
The jury began deliberating at 10:39 a.m. on November 3, 2026, and returned its verdicts at 2:40 p.m. on November 4, 2026, the release stated.
Jose Manuel Venturagarcia, 33, has been in custody without bail since his arrest on July 7, 2024, and remains in custody pending sentencing, according to the release.
According to the District Attorney, the victims knew Venturagarcia through family and neighborhood ties.
Twenty-Four Counts, Special Allegations, And True Findings
Following a 19-day jury trial in which 21 witnesses testified, the jury convicted Venturagarcia of the following, according to the release:
Counts 1 and 3: Forcible rape (PC § 261(a)(2)), with the multiple-victim special allegation under PC § 667.61(b) and (e)
Counts 2 and 4: Sexual penetration by force (PC § 289(a)(1)(A)), with the multiple-victim special allegation under PC § 667.61(b) and (e)
Counts 5 through 19, 22, and 23: Forcible lewd act upon a child under 14 (PC § 288(b)(1)), each with the multiple-victim special allegation under PC § 667.61(j)(2)
Count 20: Criminal threats (PC § 422(a))
Count 21: Lewd act upon a child under 14 (PC § 288(a)), with the multiple-victim special allegation under PC § 667.61(j)(2)
Count 24: Possession of child sexual abuse material (PC § 311.11(a))
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The jury also found true the special allegations that the crimes were committed against multiple victims, according to the release.
Jurors found true the aggravating factors that the victims were particularly vulnerable and that Venturagarcia held a position of trust and confidence with respect to the victims, factors that allow the sentencing judge to impose a higher sentence, the release stated.
The crimes occurred in Paso Robles between January 2020 and July 2024, according to the release.
The case was investigated by the Paso Robles Police Department and the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kalina Laleva of the Sexual Assault Prosecution Team, officials reported.
"Three children and a young mother in our community lived for years under the control of a man who used force, threats, and fear to keep them silent," said District Attorney Dan Dow. "He told them no one would listen. He was wrong."
"I am deeply grateful to the jurors, who gave nearly a month of their lives to this trial and listened carefully to evidence that was painful to hear," Dow said.
A December Sentencing, Lifetime Registration, And Help For Survivors
Venturagarcia faces a maximum sentence of 510 years to life, plus 3 years and 8 months, in state prison, according to the release.
He is not eligible for probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for life under PC § 290, officials reported.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2026, in Department 5 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, the Honorable Timothy S. Covello presiding, according to the release.
Anyone who suspects a child is being abused can call the San Luis Obispo County 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at (805) 781-5437 or toll-free at 1-800-834-5437. Survivors of sexual assault can reach the Lumina Alliance Crisis and Information Line at 805-545-8888 and the District Attorney's Victim Witness Assistance Center at 805-781-5821. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney, "Jury Convicts Man of Sexually Abusing Three Children and Raping a Woman," November 5, 2026: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/november/jury-convicts-man-of-sexually-abusing-three-children-and-raping-a-woman