GREENFIELD — Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Dec. 13 that a jury has found Greenfield resident Gustavo Espinoza Villalobos, 33, guilty of three counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child under age 14 and one count of annoying or molesting a child under age 18.
The jury also found true the multiple victim enhancement for each count.
In December 2018, Detective Joseph Dyles of the Greenfield Police Department spoke with John Doe 1, who was 12 years old at the time. Doe 1 disclosed to Dyles that Villalobos molested him when he was 10 years old. At the time of the molestation, Villalobos resided near Doe 1 in Greenfield.
Further investigation led to disclosures by John Doe 2, 3 and 4 that Villalobos, a family member, also molested them. These molestations occurred when Doe 2 was 12 years old, Doe 3 was 9 years old and Doe 4 was 11 or 12 years old. All four victims delayed reporting the incidents for years.
“According to research into sexual assault victim behavior, it is very common for victims to delay reporting the sexual abuse, especially when the victim is a minor and has a close relationship with the perpetrator,” stated the DA’s Office in a news release.
Shortly after these accusations came to light, Villalobos fled the county to Mexico. He was apprehended in 2023 at the border and extradited to Monterey County to face prosecution for his crimes against Does 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Villalobos faces up to 75 years to life in prison.
All three Penal Code section 288(a) offenses are serious and violent felonies and are considered strikes under California’s Three Strikes Law. Villalobos will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
