23 years in prison for ‘serial rapist’

Anthony Raymond Mendiola Camacho, a habitual offender described by the prosecution as a serial rapist, was slapped yesterday with a sentence of 23 years and six months for kidnapping and sexually terrorizing his latest victim.

“The defendant must be punished and a message sent to the community,” Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo said in his sentencing order.

He ordered the 38-year-old Camacho to serve the mandatory sentence of 15 years without parole, with credit for the 81 days he has already served in jail.

Camacho was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping, 15 years for sexual assault in the first degree, three years for attempted sexual assault in the first degree, and six months for disturbing the peace, for a total of 23 years’ imprisonment.

Govendo said the mandatory sentence of 15 years will apply because of Camacho’s prior felony conviction.

“Defendant shall not be eligible for parole until after he has served the mandatory sentence in addition to appropriate time after serving the mandatory sentence,” Govendo said.

Police said that Camacho asked the victim to bring him to a secluded area in As Matuis where he threatened to kill her before trying to rape her inside her car on Feb. 23, 2011. The victim managed to escape after she hit him in the left eye with the car key, forcing him to go down from the vehicle and giving her the chance to drive off.

Last Feb. 23, with the jury trial on its third day and the prosecution still having two witnesses to call, Camacho interrupted the proceedings to plead guilty.

Assistant attorney general Shelli Neal described Camacho as a serial rapist and recommended a life sentence or the maximum of 55 years and six months. Court-appointed defense counsel Stephen Woodruff recommended the mandatory maximum of 15 years, subject to parole.

In imposing the sentence yesterday, Govendo conceded that Camacho expressed remorse for his actions. “However, defendant’s past behavior not only demonstrated [his] repeated disregard of the law, but makes one wonder if he is capable of learning from past mistakes,” Govendo said.

The judge cited Camacho’s five previous criminal convictions—false arrest and assault, burglary, rape, attempted oral copulation, and disturbing the peace—in 1993, 1995, 2000, and 2001.

Govendo said that Camacho’s criminal history is voluminous, including an attack on a 15-year-old neighbor, two rape cases, and an attempted rape. In the current case, Govendo said that Camacho tried to rape the victim but only succeeded in groping her.

“Defendant now begs for another chance and promises that he will be good,” the judge said.

For the previous five separate criminal cases, Govendo said that Camacho could have been sentenced to a total of 132 years if all charges had been prosecuted.

“Instead, charges were dropped and he was given no more than one year in jail for each of the four felony cases, totaling a mere three years and 30 days for 16 crimes. Defendant has been given chances and he has ignored them,” Govendo noted.