SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – Anthony Cifuentes, who was shockingly seen during a burglary caught on video watching a couple as they slept, was convicted by a jury of first -degree burglary, in addition to other felonies including assault with intent to commit rape, and rape. He also had a prior strike allegation which the court found to be true.
In 2022, Cifuentes entered the homes of two different victims and violated them as they slept. In the first incident he broke into Jane Doe’s apartment through her kitchen window in the early morning hours as she slept and raped her.
During trial, Jane Doe, bravely recounted the moment she opened her eyes to see the defendant standing over her, in fear that he was going to kill her or that there may be someone else there to hurt her. She told the jury, “The moment I understood he was going to rape me… I did not want anything further…. I wanted to survive.”
About a week after he raped Jane Doe, Cifuentes continued his crime spree with another break-in caught on surveillance camera, which was the viral video. This time Cifuentes entered a family’s apartment through a bedroom window and rummaged through their drawers as they slept in their bed, just a few feet away. In the video Cifuentes is also seen walking through multiple rooms, stopping in the master bedroom to stare at the sleeping victims.
It was a night nurse in the home attending to their child who encountered Cifuentes at the apartment door, as he attempted to enter the house a second time. He looked at her and said “You should really lock your door, there are some people walking around outside that can come in.”
DNA evidence recovered from Cifuentes break-in caught on video, which included a black hat and bandana, and DNA evidence recovered from Jane Doe’s rape kit was analyzed by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s crime lab and found to contain Cifuentes’s DNA.
During the lengthy trial, Cifuentes demonstrated no remorse or acceptance of accountability for his actions. On August 2nd 2024, the Honorable Judge Malone sentenced Cifuentes to 23 years and 8 months in prison for his crimes. The case was prosecuted by San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Sheila Monjazeb and investigated by San Bernardino Police Dept.
###