Man who stabbed, beat 2 women near Lopez Lake to serve 2 life sentences
A 28-year-old Arroyo Grande man was sentenced Wednesday to two consecutive life terms in prison for his guilty plea related to a brutal domestic violence attack in September 2017 near Lake Lopez, according to the county District Attorney’s Office.
Alberto Isaac Gonzalez-Penaloza pleaded guilty in January to two counts of attempted murder for stabbing and beating two women on a remote property near Lopez Lake in 2017.
Deputies began searching for Gonzalez-Penaloza on Sept. 9, 2017, as the women were being transported to nearby hospitals.
A search of the area involving a CHP helicopter, a SWAT team, an armored vehicle and dogs, lasted about two hours. When Gonzalez-Penaloza was found, Sheriff’s Office officials said he was “dehydrated and delusional.”
Under current law, the defendant won’t be eligible for parole until he has served 22 years, the DA’s Office said in a press release.
The court issued a criminal protective order prohibiting him from contacting the victim for 10 years, the maximum allowed by law. The court also ordered the defendant to pay more than $13,000 in restitution.
According to the DA, a victim impact statement was read aloud by the prosecutor, in which the victim said, “The damage he has caused me is an everyday struggle. It has been emotionally, psychologically, physically and financially damaging. The devastating suffering I endured from the impact the defendant has created has rerouted my life emotionally and physically.”
Judge Jacqueline Duffy told the victim that she is “incredibly brave and incredibly resilient,” the DA’s Office said.
In his plea agreement, Gonzalez-Penaloza also admitted inflicting great bodily injury, using a firearm, and using a knife, the DA Office said.
This story was originally published May 1, 2019 at 5:59 PM.
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