An Ohio man was convicted April 15 in Ventura County Superior Court of raping a woman while on vacation in Oxnard in 2018.
A jury found Christopher Baum, 59, of Fairlawn, guilty of felony forcible rape. He faces a maximum of eight years in prison and an aggravating factor that the crime involved great violence being found true, according to a Ventura County District Attorney’s Office news release.
The charge stems from an Oct. 14, 2018 incident when Baum and a woman were staying together in an Oxnard hotel, the DA’s office said. Following an argument, she fell asleep, but awoke to find Baum on top of her.
He held her arms down and raped her, despite her pleas to stop, DA’s officials said.
Baum later went to sleep after the woman went to the restroom, where she reportedly experienced significant pain, officials said.
The woman later reported the incident to a friend, and the Oxnard Police Department, the DA’s office said.
The Ohio man is being held without bail and is scheduled to be sentenced in court on May 29, the DA’s office said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Jury convicts Ohio man of 2018 rape while on vacation in Oxnard
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
