A prison sentence of 316 years was handed down Friday, May 2, for the three men convicted of sexually assaulting two young women in Mission Beach in 2006. The sentence prompted one defense attorney to remark the sentence should be for someone who “believes in reincarnation.”
Under usually tight security, the trio received consecutive sentences of 300 years to life for 12 sex acts, which San Diego Superior Court Judge John Einhorn said were separate acts “that are divisible from one another.” Einhorn added 16 years and four months for robbing the two women and two men and holding them against their wills in the Oct. 15, 2006, incident.
One defendant, Donald Duante Smith, 21, of Paradise Hills, grinned during the sentencing and giggled when one victim tearfully read her statement about how her life has changed since that night. The other two, Antonio Washington, 19, of San Diego, and Willie Louis Watkins, 32, of Chollas View, remained somber.
They were handcuffed to each other in the jury box, and seven sheriff’s deputies were in the courtroom. Four deputies surrounded them and had their hands on either their guns or other equipment on their belts to discourage any outbursts. Everyone who entered the courtroom went through a metal detector even though everyone who enters the courthouse has to go through another metal detector.
“I can’t believe he sat there and laughed at that girl,” said one deputy to other deputies about Smith after the hearing.
Einhorn imposed consecutive life sentences for Smith and Washington for their convictions of kidnapping the two young women for robbery. Following the rapes, Smith and Washington ordered them at gunpoint to leave the condo with them for half a block, but when they saw a police car, the defendants scattered. The women ran back to the condo.
A jury convicted the men of multiple rape counts, rape in concert, forcible oral copulation, digital penetration of one victim and sodomy of the other woman on Feb. 19. The trio also forced a 19-year-old man to strip at gunpoint and attempt various sex acts with one of the women. All four victims attended University of San Diego at the time.
“You changed who I was as a person. You made me unable to handle the everyday things in life,” said one of the female victims, who is now 21. “You made me afraid. You took away everything I value in my life. You took away my sense of security. You forced me to leave the school I had dreamed of going to for years.
“You made my parents sick with worry. You caused me to lose my best friends. You made me question if there is still good in all people,” she said.
“I hate everything that you have done to me. I will move forward with my life, still hating all three of you and not feel one bit of remorse for that,” she concluded.
The judge said the sentences will ensure that all three “will spend the rest of their lives in state prison.”
Einhorn said the trio displayed a motive to “degrade and humiliate another human being” and added they had “a reasonable time to reflect and they could have stopped at any time.”
Washington’s attorney, John O’Connell, urged unsuccessfully that his client be sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.
“Why run consecutive terms unless you believe in reincarnation? They don’t add anything unless my client can come back from the dead,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell said Washington was “the most remorseful than any of the three” and he had written a letter of apology to the victims.
When the judge asked if any of the defendants wanted to say anything, Smith said he wanted to comment. He tried to stand, but since he was handcuffed with the other two, they also had to stand up.
“I don’t have any remorse because I didn’t do it. I hope you’re all glad I’m railroaded,” Smith said, who added the DNA evidence against him was false because he claimed his DNA sample was contaminated.
Smith and Washington made statements to police admitting to some involvement in the rapes, but one attorney said his client basically told police what they wanted to hear.
“We’re extremely pleased with the judge’s sentences. The judge sentenced them to the maximum,” said Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza. “We felt the DNA evidence proved their guilt.”
The judge denied a motion for a new trial brought by attorney Knut Johnson, who represents Watkins. Johnson claimed Espinoza committed prosecutorial misconduct in his closing argument. Einhorn disagreed, saying Espinoza’s comments were fair.
“Mr. Espinoza argued correctly when (he said) the evidence is overwhelming,” said Einhorn.
The intruders entered the condo on San Fernando Place near Belmont Park around 3:15 a.m. through an unlocked door. The men threatened the victims with guns and wore bandanas to hide their faces. No guns were ever recovered, but the prosecutor said the men may have used pellet guns, which looked like realistic firearms.
The defendants took cell phones, video games, a television, bank access cards and cash from the victims as they left. Only one of the students was actually living there, while the others were guests. The student moved away the next day.
The victim who spoke said she had developed a chronic anxiety state combined with obsessive checking to make sure locks are locked. She left USD after she said she “got the looks of pity because everyone knew who I was and what had happened to me.” She said she “lost all connections with my friends.”
The victim said she was able to go to college in another state, and she initially thought that would give her a fresh start. But the chronic anxiety and memories of what happened continued, she said in her statement. She has been in counseling.
She told the men, “I hope you feel ashamed every day you sit in prison.”
Each defendant was fined $600. Watkins and Smith were given credit for spending 645 days in jail. Washington was given credit for spending 631 days in jail. Washington was arrested later than the other two as he had fled to another state.