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Hays County Man Gets 218 Years for Drugging, Sexually Assaulting Teen

Prosecutors said pattern evidence showed he remained a danger, prompting stacked terms with lifetime restrictions.

Overview

  • Richard Santa Ana, 44, was convicted in a Nov. 7 bench trial of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child by contact.
  • Hays County District Judge Joe Pool ordered the prison terms to run consecutively and imposed lifetime sex‑offender registration plus a lifetime protective order for the victim.
  • Prosecutors said Santa Ana repeatedly drugged and sexually assaulted a teenage girl who was the daughter of a friend.
  • During the punishment phase, a woman testified that Santa Ana assaulted her in 2007 as prosecutors sought to establish a pattern of conduct.
  • The district attorney’s office said Santa Ana showed no remorse, and lead prosecutor Abigail Whitaker argued for a sentence that would prevent future reoffending.