Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 30, 2008

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

CHILD MOLESTER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON

Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced that Mr. Edward V. Ortiz, 55, of Santa Rosa, was sentenced yesterday to fifteen years to life in state prison.

District Attorney Passalacqua stated, “This life sentence ensures that Defendant Ortiz will not be able to prey on other children in the community.”

Ortiz was arrested on a warrant in September, 2007, following an investigation conducted by the Santa Rosa Police Department. The investigation was triggered by the disclosure of Ortiz’s four-year old granddaughter that while at a family gathering, Ortiz had touched her inappropriately on more than one occasion. The investigation revealed that another child, who had previously been under Ortiz’s care as a family friend, was molested by Ortiz over the course of a number of years, starting at about the age of five.

On March 26, 2008, at an early stage of the case, Ortiz pled no contest to one count of oral copulation with a minor under the age of ten, and one count of a lewd act with a child under the age of 13. The Honorable Ken Gnoss imposed a sentence of six years for the lewd act on a child, and a consecutive term of fifteen years to life for the oral copulation with a minor under ten. Ortiz was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

Deputy District Attorney Juliette Olson handled the prosecution. Santa Rosa Police Department Detective Armando Juaregui was the lead investigator on the case.