Man convicted of domestic violence, other felonies following brutal Pacifica Halloween party assault of girlfriend
A man faces up to five years in prison after he violently assaulted his girlfriend outside of a Pacifica party last Halloween.
PACIFICA — A San Francisco man was convicted by a jury of seven crimes Tuesday, about 11 months after he viciously assaulted his girlfriend outside of a Halloween party in Pacifica, according to prosecutors.
Darien Diaz, 29, was found guilty after a 17-day trial in San Mateo County. Prosecutors said Diaz, who faces up to five years in prison, will return to court on Dec. 17 for a sentencing hearing.
“Any time a jury holds to account a domestic abuser like Darien Diaz, the community is a safer place,” a spokesperson from the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement given to the Bay Area News Group.
Prosecutors said Diaz’s girlfriend of more than three years was attending a Halloween party at a friend’s Pacifica home on Oct. 30 of last year when Diaz showed up aggravated by what she was wearing. The victim had left the house to go to her car parked outside when Diaz grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into the vehicle.
Diaz then searched through her phone and slapped her multiple times, forcing her to stay in the car and sleep inside. After Diaz fell asleep, she escaped the car and went inside to gather her belongings. She told her friend not to call police.
When she returned to the car, an angry Diaz climbed on top of her, ripped her underwear and told her he’d “rape her again like he did at the Continental.” He then strangled and punched her in the face when she tried to fight back, and threatened her family’s lives.
A passerby heard the victim screaming and called police, describing what she could see of the situation. When police arrived, the victim was crying and Diaz had fled the scene; he was located and arrested about 45 minutes later.
Prosecutors said that Diaz called the victim more than 600 times from jail while he awaited a verdict. After testifying, the victim ripped up the photo exhibits in the courthouse hallway.
She only retold about 50% of the story during her testimony, prosecutors claimed.
On Tuesday, Diaz was convicted of four felonies, including domestic violence with a prior domestic violence conviction, threats, false imprisonment and assault. He was also found guilty for two misdemeanor violations of a court order and misdemeanor resisting arrest.