Man reaches plea bargain in Santa Rosa torture case

A Santa Rosa man accused of raping and torturing an ex-girlfriend he’s alleged to have held captive for weeks reached a plea bargain with prosecutors Thursday to serve six years in prison.

Jose Angel Barajas-Mireles, 35, faced a possible life sentence if convicted of the charges stemming from the February assault at a rural complex off Stony Point Road.

A judge previously ruled he could be tried on seven felonies, including rape, sodomy and false imprisonment.

But citing conflicting victim statements and other evidence problems, prosecutor Chris Honigsberg agreed to drop six of the counts in exchange for a no-contest plea to assault causing great bodily injury.

Honigsberg said facts supported the initial allegations but he expressed doubt about proving them at trial.

Barajas-Mireles will be sentenced Dec. 15.

The case came to light in February when the victim, identified in court only as Jane Doe, reported to police she was kidnapped at gunpoint by three men and raped over several weeks.

She later admitted knowing Barajas-Mireles and having a consensual sexual relationship with him. Her lawyer, Andy Martinez, produced text messages from the woman to Barajas-Mireles professing her devotion and a willingness “to be your slave, if you want,” 10 days before she first went to police.

However, the woman said at some point the relationship became violent and she was beaten by him, she told police.

At the preliminary hearing, Honigsberg submitted 19 photos taken at the hospital the night she reported the incident, showing multiple large and small bruises all over the woman’s body, some recent and purple and others older and yellowing.

There also were several thin red lines on her arms and legs, which detectives believe were whip marks from electrical or phone charger cords.

Charges against the other two men were dropped.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.