In Napa County today, Santiago Torres Mendez Jr., aged 31, received a life sentence without the chance of parole for a series of violent sex crimes across multiple counties, per the Napa County District Attorney's Office announcement. Judge Elia Ortiz ruled in the Superior Court, extending Mendez's punishment to an additional 215 years to life plus 14 years. The sentencing concludes the legal proceedings following a conviction in mid-November by a Napa jury on numerous charges, including six counts of rape.

Details from the Napa County District Attorney's Office elaborated that Mendez was convicted for crimes committed against five victims, some under the age of 18, in Napa, Sacramento, and Humboldt counties. During his trial, the jury also found aggravated kidnapping, great bodily injury, and several other aggravating factors to be true. Regarding the case, Napa County Deputy District Attorneys Kristen Orlando and Michelle Roberts noted the calculated and violent nature of Mendez's offenses, asserting his actions displayed not only a disregard for his victims but also a threat to public safety.

The case prosecution stemmed from a 2021 incident where Mendez strangled and raped an 18-year-old woman in Napa County. Passed out from strangulation, she awoke to the assault and was subjected to continued abuse until her escape and subsequent call for help. Mendez's arrest that day led detectives to discover four additional victims, initiating further charges against him. "This sentence ensures that Santiago Torres Mendez Jr. will never again harm another person or endanger our community," according to a statement by DDA Orlando, as per the Napa County District Attorney's Office.