SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY Calif. – On Monday Dec. 4, 2023, Oscar Arturo Mejia (62) from the city of Chino, was sentenced to 120-years-to-life for his sex crimes against three young girls with whom he had a familial relationship.
The defendant came into the lives of the three victims when they were very young, with the youngest victim being only 18-months’ old, and his sexual abuse of each of them began almost immediately.
Using a combination of his harsh, domineering presence, self-serving lies, and manipulated religious doctrine, the defendant methodically isolated each of his victims, sexually abused their bodies, and then shamed them into believing that his abuse was somehow their fault. The defendant took advantage of the trust that adult family members had placed in him and used it to carry out his selfish crimes.
He was able to silence his victims by subjecting each of them to atrocious verbal and emotional abuse. However, after silently enduring the pain and misplaced shame of the abuse they suffered for years, the victims were able to find the strength to come forward and tell the truth of who the defendant truly is, a predatory sexual abuser.
The victims’ powerful and credible testimony helped the jury deliver swift verdicts of guilty in September of this year for each of the eight felonies he was charged; Eight counts of Penal Code Section 288(a) – Lewd and Lascivious Act Upon a Child Under the Age of 14.
The jury also found true the alleged special allegation that the defendant had committed his crimes against more than one victim in the present case pursuant to Penal Code Section 667.61(b) and (e).
Honorable Judge John Nguyen listened thoughtfully to the deeply moving impact statements delivered by each of the three victims and another family member before sentencing the defendant to 15-years-to-life for each count for which he was convicted, which will be served consecutively to one another. The defendant must serve 120 years in prison before he should be eligible for parole consideration. The defendant was sentenced for his crimes the date of his 62nd birthday.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Family Violence Unit handled this case. Cases handled by this unit often involve sensitive familial issues, and the situations require dedication and understanding for the most vulnerable members of our community. With the team approach, our Family Violence Unit is committed to working closely with law enforcement, children’s services and the medical community to maintain an organized, focused approach to the successful prosecution of sexual, physical/endangerment and financial abuse cases.
This trial was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Angela Gerovac of the Family Violence Unit after the thorough investigation and case preparation by Deputy District Attorney Gina Florick in collaboration with Sergeant Matt Johnson and Sergeant Scott Trosper of the Chino Police Department. Victim Advocate Miriam Torres and other members of our Bureau of Victim Services assisted the victims throughout criminal proceedings.
###