Central Coast barber found guilty of sexually assaulting client
By Tim Fang
A jury on California’s Central Coast has convicted a barber for sexually assaulting a client at his shop, prosecutors said.
Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni’s office announced that 45-year-old Rafael Martinez Vargas of Salinas was found guilty Monday of forcible oral copulation and sexual battery. The jury also found true an allegation that the crime involved “planning, sophistication, or professionalism.”
Prosecutors said the forcible oral copulation conviction is considered a strike under the state’s Three Strikes Law.
According to the DA’s office, Vargas attacked at least three of his male clients during incidents that date back nearly a decade.
A victim whom prosecutors called “John Doe 1” testified that he had been a customer of Vargas at Haircuts in Shape in Salinas for several years. The victim testified that during a routine haircut on Mar. 3, 2024, Vargas touched his genitals without his consent, pulled down his pants and began to sexually assault him.
“John Doe 1 tried to push Vargas off, but Vargas did not stop the assault,” the DA’s office said.
The victim addressed whey he did not strike Vargas or use physical force to stop the attack, saying he froze during the incident, which prosecutors said was a “common response to trauma and fear.”
A second victim testified about an incident in 2017 in which he said he was assaulted by Vargas during a haircut. The victim similarly described freezing during the incident and being unable to fight Vargas off.
During the trial, a third victim said he was a customer at Vargas’ barbershop when he was groped without his consent during a Nov. 2019 incident. Prosecutors said like the other victims, he testified that he froze in response to the assault.
Jail records show Vargas remains in custody at the Monterey County Jail.
According to the DA’s office, Vargas faces a maximum sentence of 8½ years in state prison and must register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27.
