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Govendo to issue written sentencing order vs ‘serial rapist’
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Posted on May 02 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo failed Monday to reach a decision as to how much jail term he will impose on convicted rapist Anthony Raymond Mendiola Camacho.
Govendo said he will issue a written judgment and read it to Camacho at a later hearing.
The judge said he has to think about the sentencing some more considering the wide discrepancy of the sentencing recommendations of assistant attorney general Shelli Neal and defense counsel Stephen Woodruff.
Govendo cited Camacho’s prior convictions-at least five separate criminal cases and four of them involving crimes against four women.
In those five prior cases, Govendo said, Camacho could have been sentenced to a total of 132 years if given the maximum amount of prison time. Yet he was only given a total of three years and 30 days for 16 crimes.
“Anthony was given break one after another after another. Now he is asking me-one more last chance,” Govendo said.
The judge said he will send a strong message to the community that these kinds of crime no longer continue.
Neal recommended a sentence of life in prison or a maximum of 55 years and six months, saying that Camacho is a serial rapist.
Woodruff recommended the mandatory maximum of 15 years, subject to parole.
Last Feb. 23, with the jury trial on its third day and the prosecution still to call two witnesses, the 38-year-old Camacho interrupted the proceedings and pleaded guilty to kidnapping, sexual assault in the first degree, attempted sexual assault in the first degree, and disturbing the peace.
In the latest case, Camacho, a convicted sex offender, tried to rape a woman and threatened to kill her at the secluded old radar station area in As Matuis 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.
