SLO County man attacked 3 women in home invasions. Now he faces 50 years to life in prison
An Arroyo Grande man accused of a pair of violent home invasion attacks on sleeping women in 2018 pleaded no contest Friday to multiple sex crimes days before he was to stand trial.
Arthur Tiofilo Rocha was found guilty of multiple felony counts for attacks on three female victims who were inside their homes in San Luis Obispo.
Rocha was arrested after evidence linked him to a sexual assault on July 8, 2018.
A young woman woke up to find Rocha threatening her while he held a knife to her throat, and he then raped her and forced her to perform oral sex before fleeing the victim’s home, according to officer testimony during a 2019 preliminary hearing.
Five days later, two other women — one a friend who was staying the night at the other’s home and sharing a bed — awoke to a man in the bed on top of one of them, choking her and holding a knife to her throat.
A San Luis Obispo police officer testified that the victims told her the man said, “Shut the f--- up or I’ll kill you both,” and “I’ll f------ kill you.”
The women were somehow able to fight off the assailant, break free, and flee the apartment to a neighbor’s.
The assailant, who was wearing all black including latex gloves and nylon on his head, followed them out the door before also running away.
A piece of a latex glove was found entangled on a nearby fence, where officers also found one of the women’s cell phones, a 5-inch switchblade knife, an opened but unused condom, and several zip-ties.
Under the terms of his plea, Rocha, 43, faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison.
“While these horrific crimes should never have been committed, the courage of these brave victims is remarkable,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a news release Friday. “I am grateful that this plea agreement will provide an appropriately harsh sentence without requiring the victims to endure the anguish of testifying in court and reliving the horror.”
Rocha is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 10, 2022. He remains in custody without bail at San Luis Obispo County Jail.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 5:45 PM.
