Atwater man convicted of attempted rape of partially paralyzed wife

An Atwater man was convicted last week of attempted rape and domestic violence in connection with an attack on his partially paralyzed wife that prosecutors described as “appalling.”

Francisco Carbajal Jr., 42, was found guilty Thursday by a Merced Superior Court jury, following a two-day trial before Judge David Moranda.

Carbajal was arrested Dec. 3 after Atwater police said he attacked his wife at their home in the 1800 block of Los Olivos Court. The 50-year-old woman was hospitalized after Carbajal beat her when she refused to have sex with him, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office said.

The woman, who had previously suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed on the right side of her body, suffered numerous severe facial lacerations during the attack. Carbajal pinned her to the ground and punched in the face about a dozen times, the Atwater Police Department reported.

“She really wasn’t able to defend herself from him,” said Ilia McKinney, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case. “I certainly hope this does (send a message) that being married doesn’t give you the right to force your partner to have sex.

“I hope anyone out there who may be experiencing this type of violence will realize that we take these cases very seriously and will prosecute them,” McKinney said.

Jurors convicted Carbajal of attempted rape and of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Carbajal pleaded guilty to the domestic violence charge, McKinney confirmed.

He faces up to 10 years in state prison when he is sentenced April 17. Carbajal’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Sean Howard, could not be reached for comment Monday.

McKinney praised the investigation conducted by Atwater police officers Levi Crain and Dave Sarginson and Detective Matthew Vierra.

Lt. Samuel Joseph echoed McKinney’s concerns for other domestic violence victims.

“The officers really do take every case seriously, but especially cases when a victim isn’t able to defend themselves, especially domestic violence,” Joseph said. “This is the type of case I think is a reflection of the work our officers do on all of these very serious cases.”

Carbajal remained in custody at John Latorraca Correctional Facility.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Atwater man convicted of attempted rape of partially paralyzed wife."