GONZALES — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced June 25 that a jury found Jose Omar Soto Velasquez of Gonzales guilty of felony domestic violence and dissuading or intimidating a witness.
Velasquez and Jane Doe had been dating approximately one year and lived together for several months with Doe’s two children. On April 28, 2023, Doe attempted to leave their apartment, but Velasquez grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door.
“Velasquez grabbed her neck and began to strangle Jane Doe while holding her against the wall,” according to the DA’s Office. “Jane Doe retreated to her children’s room, where Velasquez followed her and refused to let her leave for several hours.”
Doe managed to get halfway out the door at one point when Velasquez grabbed her arm and slammed the door shut against her body. She took photos of the significant bruising caused to her leg as a result. Once her children got home from school, she took them to stay with her family in another county.
On May 17, 2023, Velasquez again tried to grab Doe’s neck. Fortunately, she was able to stop Velasquez from strangling her and told him she would call police. Velasquez “threatened to kill Doe if she called police for help,” stated the DA’s Office.
On May 21, 2023, Velasquez changed the locks on their shared apartment while Doe was working her second job. When Doe returned home late that night, she called police for help getting into her home. She reported several prior instances of violence by Velasquez against her and one of her children.
The case was investigated by Gonzales Police Officer Joshua Macias.
Velasquez faces a maximum of five years in state prison and will be sentenced by the Honorable Judge Hood on July 23. Dissuading or intimidating a witness constitutes a “strike” under California’s Three Strikes Law.
