District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Martin Herrejon Vieyra, a 58-year-old man from Santa Paula, has been sentenced to 110 years to life, plus eight years for rape and child molestation involving multiple victims over several decades. Vieyra was previously convicted by a jury on January 12, 2026. The jury found him guilty of eight felony charges: rape by force, foreign object penetration, and six counts of lewd acts upon a child. Several special allegations and aggravating factors were also found true, including that there were multiple victims and the victims were particularly vulnerable.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Stuart Gardner, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuted the case.
“While no punishment can undo the trauma inflicted, today’s lengthy sentence sends a clear message: those who prey on children will be prosecuted and held fully responsible for their actions,” Mr. Gardner said. “Our office will continue to stand with victims and work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Vieyra molested two victims over the course of many years. The abuse of the first victim occurred between 1996 and 2005. The other victim suffered abuse from 2012 to 2020, before disclosing the conduct in 2022. Both were minors under the age of 14 at the time of the abuse. Vieyra had access to these young victims through a familial relationship. After learning of the abuse against the two victims, a third victim came forward in February 2025. Vieyra raped her in 1991 when he was living in the same household with her family.
The Santa Paula Police Department was the originating agency in the investigation. In October 2024, investigators with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office completed additional investigative work, which led to the arrest of Vieyra.