Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 12/20/05

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Joan Risse

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO LIFE TERM

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that Superior Court Judge Rene Chouteau sentenced Merhani Teklemariam Bahabla to life in prison for sexual assaults he committed against four women.

A Sonoma County jury convicted the 27 year old man on November 21, 2005, of several offenses, including rape, sodomy, kidnapping, robbery, making criminal threats and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. The jury also found to be true special allegations that the defendant personally inflicted great bodily injury and that he personally used a knife.

Mr. Bahabla will first have to serve a fixed term of 37 years prior to commencing three life terms. If he receives conduct credits in prison, he will have to serve approximately 31 years of the fixed term.

State law provides for life sentences for sex offenders under certain circumstances. In Mr. Bahabla’s case, the circumstances that he kidnapped a victim, personally inflicted great bodily injury upon a victim, personally used a deadly weapon and was convicted of sex offenses against more than one victim, made him eligible for a life sentence. He received three consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for three of the sex offenses. He will have to serve at least 85% of that sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

District Attorney Passalacqua praised the work of members of the Special Victims Unit in the office and detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department for their dedication to the case. "These are extremely serious cases and the maximum penalty in this case was appropriate to protect members of our community," Mr. Passalacqua stated.