Jacinto Hernandez, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday, even though he wasn’t in court to find out.
Hernandez was in court on Monday and Tuesday, but after that, even his lawyer, David Martinez, isn’t sure why he never came back.
“I don’t know why he made the decision to run, but I feel confident that it was because he decided he was not going to accept a sentence of imprisonment,” Martinez said.
The trial for aggravated sexual assault continued anyway, and on Thursday morning a Lubbock jury convicted Hernandez, who was absent, on the lesser charge of sexual assault.
At trial there was evidence that Hernandez and the victim had previously dated. An indictment said Hernandez exhibited a knife and forced the victim to have sex with him in May of 2013.
A roommate of the victim testified that Hernandez was obsessed with her because she was a virgin. The roommate said Hernandez wanted to be her first.
The roommate said after Hernandez and the victim broke up, he became even more obsessive.
The victim also testified. She said she agreed to meet Hernandez so she could tell him the relationship was over. But during the meeting he pulled out a knife and forced her to go to his apartment. She testified that he raped her twice.
A warrant was issued for his arrest when he didn’t show up for the rest of his trial.
