Ex-boyfriend sentenced to 49 years for ‘violent’ attack

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Jacob Gonzales was sentenced to 49 years in prison for first-degree kidnapping after he violently attacked his ex-girlfriend in 2020.

Prosecutors say the judge imposed the maximum possible sentence, taking into account Gonzales' habitual offender status and his use of a gun in carrying out the crime.

ABC-7 reported in August 2020 that police arrested Gonzales for assaulting his ex-girlfriend then shoving her in the trunk of her car. Investigators say Gonzales drove her out to a remote desert location, stripped her down, beat and tortured her, then took her to an abandoned house and forced her to clean up.

“Despite the traumatic nature of this case and the legal setbacks we faced, justice ultimately prevailed,” said District Attorney Fernando R. Macias. “The victim showed tremendous courage in coming forward the second time, and today’s sentence reflects the severity of Gonzales’s crimes and the perseverance of our prosecution team.”

Before this sentencing, Gonzales had previously been convicted in an earlier trial where his ex-girlfriend was too fearful to testify.

"Although the DA’s Office secured a conviction without her testimony, a higher court ordered a retrial requiring her appearance," a spokesperson for the DA's Office explained. "The successful retrial and today’s sentencing resulted in a punishment ten years longer than the original sentence."