A Stockton man was found guilty on all 11 felony counts stemming from the sexual assault of two young victims, including a 2012 attack on his then-12-year-old cousin that resulted in a pregnancy and the birth of a baby when she was 13. A jury deliberated for approximately half a day before returning the verdicts against 33-year-old Antonio Abarca, and he now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case, filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court under Case No. CR-2022-4477 as People v. Antonio Abarca Callejas, traces back to conduct that began in 2012, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office. The crimes were not reported to police at the time. The case only came to light after the victim's sister disclosed that Abarca had also molested her, prompting the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office to launch a comprehensive multi-year investigation. That investigation ultimately located and arrested Abarca in 2021 after he returned to the United States.
A Detective's Years-Long Pursuit
Detective Alisha Cardenas of the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office tracked Abarca over several years as the investigation unfolded. Deputy District Attorney Carrie Lawrence led the prosecution, and the DA's Bureau of Investigations provided what the office described as critical trial support. The trial itself was held before Judge Mallett, and the jury ultimately found Abarca guilty on all 11 counts.
Central to the case was a jury finding that the victim's pregnancy and childbirth constituted great bodily injury — a legal designation with roots in a 2008 California Supreme Court ruling. In People v. Cross, the state's high court established that a pregnancy resulting from unlawful sexual conduct with a minor satisfies the statutory definition of great bodily injury under Penal Code Section 12022.7. That finding, combined with special enhancements for crimes against multiple victims, places Abarca's convictions squarely within the reach of California's so-called One Strike law.
Why a First-Time Conviction Can Mean Life Without Parole
Under Penal Code Section 667.61, sexual assault offenses committed against multiple victims or resulting in great bodily injury can trigger enhanced mandatory life sentences even without prior convictions, according to legal analysis from Hedding Law Firm. That statute explains why Abarca faces the possibility of life without parole despite having no prior strike convictions mentioned in the case record. Because he was over 18 at the time of the crimes, he would also be statutorily excluded from California youth offender parole suitability hearings under Penal Code Section 3051, per the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas said the verdict permanently removes a dangerous predator from the streets. Freitas credited sheriff's detectives, prosecutors, and victim support teams for securing the conviction. Freitas took office in January 2023 after winning election in June 2022, succeeding former DA Tori Verber Salazar, according to Ballotpedia.
Victim Advocates Behind the Scenes
Victim-witness advocates Maritza Vasquez and Heidi Ramirez supported the victims throughout the case, while Cortney Pignon, who works for the CASA unit, provided administrative work preparing the case for trial. Locally, survivors of child abuse and sexual assault can also turn to PREVAIL, formerly known as Women's Center-Youth & Family Services, which operates a 24-hour sexual assault hotline and works alongside county prosecutors on survivor advocacy. Since September 2025, the San Joaquin County Family Justice Center has centralized victim services at 400 East Main Street in Stockton, bringing together more than 30 partner agencies to support victims of child abuse and sexual assault without requiring a formal police report.
Abarca is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on October 12, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in Department 6D of the San Joaquin County Superior Court at 180 East Weber Avenue in Stockton, the same department presided over by Judge Mallett. The courtroom saw a similarly severe outcome just last month, when the District Attorney's Office secured a 49-year-to-life sentence in another multi-victim child sexual assault case involving defendant Rodney Smith. Regional station ABC10 also reported on the verdicts Thursday, confirming Abarca's exposure to a maximum penalty of life without parole. It remains unknown whether Abarca's defense will file post-trial motions or a notice of appeal challenging the great bodily injury enhancements before sentencing.
