In July of 2019, the City of Thousand Oaks Police Department released a media release regarding the arrest of Jose Monarca. This follow-up media release is to inform the public of Monarca’s conviction and sentencing.
In December of 2018, the City of Thousand Oaks Police Department received a child molestation report from Mountlake Terrace Police Department in the state of Washington. The report detailed sexual abuse that had occurred in the City of Thousand Oaks in either 2004 or 2005 when the victims were between the ages of 10 to 14 years old. The report listed Jose Eduardo Monarca as the suspect.
In May of 2019, while the Sexual Assault Unit was investigating the case, additional sexual assaults were reported in Thousand Oaks involving 4-year-old and 10-year-old victims and the same suspect. Between the years of 2014 and 2019, Monarca had been sexually molesting two victims who were still living in the city of Thousand Oaks. This investigation led to Monarca’s arrest. The Ventura County District Attorney’s office elected to file multiple felony child molest charges against Monarca.
On July 9, 2019, the Sexual Assault Unit concluded their investigation related to the Mountlake Police Department reports and arrested Monarca for additional sexual assault charges.
The investigations revealed Monarca was renting a room and living with the victims’ families. Detectives learned Monarca arrived in the United States from El Salvador in 1995 or 1996 and began living with the first victim’s family. Monarca lived with this family until the year 2000, and again briefly in either 2007 or 2008. Investigators do not know where Monarca lived from the year 2000 to 2013. Most recently, Monarca was living with the victims who reported the sexual abuse in May of 2019. There was an approximate 13 year gap where detectives do not know where Monarca was living.
On June 11, 2019, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the additional case and elected to file additional felony charges against Monarca.
On June 23, 2020, Monarca appeared in the Ventura County Superior Court and pled guilty to 9 felony charges: 6 counts of 288(a) PC – Lewd & Lascivious Acts with a Minor under 14 years old, 1 count of 288.5 PC – Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child under 14 years old, 288(b)(1) PC – Lewd & Lascivious Acts with a Minor by force, and 289(j) PC – Forcible Acts of Sexual Penetration with a child under 14 years old.
On July 22, 2020, Monarca again appeared in the Ventura County Superior Court for sentencing. Several of the victims were present for the sentencing and provided Victim Impact Statements.
At the conclusion of the very emotional sentencing hearing, Monarca was sentenced to 25 years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender pursuant to 290 PC.
Monarca is currently in custody at the Ventura County Todd Road Jail pending transport to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
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