A North Bay man, Esbin Ramirez-Garcia of Rohnert Park, has entered a guilty plea to the charge of aggravated sexual abuse, a federal offense. The victim, with whom Ramirez-Garcia had a previous relationship, was assaulted in the Marin Headlands following an argument, as per his admission. According to an announcement by Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, the defendant was initially indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2024.
The Department of Justice reports that on the night of August 2, 2024, Ramirez-Garcia, now 28, offered the victim a ride from work. After she declined to rekindle their relationship, he forcefully continued to drive her away from her intended destination. This admission forms the basis of the charge to which the defendant pleaded guilty.
This criminal act occurred within a National Parks area, bringing it under federal jurisdiction. The assault occurred in a parking lot after midnight, which was detailed in the guilty plea. "Ramirez-Garcia admitted that he forcibly placed his body on top of the victim’s body while she sat in the passenger seat and sexually assaulted her," as the Department of Justice press release delineates the nature of the assault.
Ramirez-Garcia has been detained since August of last year, and he is now scheduled to be sentenced on May 28. If convicted, he faces up to a life sentence and a fine of $250,000. Nevertheless, the actual sentence is yet to be determined and will be imposed by Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup after fully considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and federal sentencing statute, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin and Acting Special Agent in Charge Betsy Smith of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch collaborated on this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Wistar Wilson are prosecuting with assistance from support staff, credit to their dedicated efforts ensuring the case reached a prosecutorial conclusion.
