Salinas man convicted of 2003 rape of teenage girl

A Salinas man was convicted Thursday of raping his daughter’s teenage friend in 2003.

Efrain Gonzalez, 48, was found guilty in a court trial in Monterey County Superior Court.

Gonzalez gave the victim, then 17, a ride home after she’d spent the night at their home. He drove her to a field, forced her clothes off, and raped her in the back of his van.

Gonzalez fled the area and was not apprehended until 2013. During the court trial, the victim testified that the sexual assault still haunted her. Her statements were corroborated by DNA evidence.

Gonzalez faces up to six years in state prison when he is sentenced on July 9.