The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced this week that Jose Luis Lua Manzo was sentenced to eight years in a state prison for rape.
On August 16, 2023, a jury found the 32-year-old guilty of two felonies — forcible rape and rape of an unconscious or asleep person.
On August 4, 2021, Manzo entered a Santa Maria woman's bedroom in the middle of the night while she was asleep and began to rape her.
The woman woke up and told Manzo to stop but he did not. The woman fled her own home after the rape and reported it to the Santa Maria Police Department.
Manzo was reportedly sentenced to the maximum term possible for his crimes.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual assault or abuse, help is available. The Rape of Youth & Incest National Network (RAINN) can connect you to a local Rape Crisis Center in your area code or to other resources available in your area. For more information, you can call their 24/7 hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE (1.800.656.4673) or visit the RAINN website at http://www.rainn.org.
The following agencies in Santa Barbara County are also available to assist:
North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center
- https://sbcountyrapecrisis.org/
- 301 Miller St. #206, Santa Maria - (805) 922-2994
- 511 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc - (805) 736-8535
Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESSA)
- https://sbstesa.org
- 433 E. Cañon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara - (805) 963-6832
