A convicted sex offender who assaulted two female Corona residents was sentenced Friday to 34 years to life in state prison.
Miguel Angel Vazquez, 32, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of forced sexual penetration and one count each of attempted kidnapping and oral copulation of a minor, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting multiple victims in a sex crime under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped six charges against Vazquez.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Superior Court Judge Francisco Navarro certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the stipulated sentence.
According to Corona police Sgt. Robert Montanez, the first attack happened on the afternoon of Jan. 26, 2024, in the 1100 block of Magnolia Avenue, where Vazquez forced himself on a woman, groping her before fleeing.
Montanez said that, four days later, the defendant targeted another woman in Mountain Gate Park in the 3200 block of South Main Street.
“Officers learned the suspect approached the victim, sexually battered her and stole her cell phone,” the sergeant said.
The victim immediately called 911, and patrol officers canvassed the area with the aid of a Riverside Police Department helicopter crew. Montanez said that, relying on the victim’s description, officers were able to locate the assailant three hours later in the area of Filbert and Ford streets, where he was taken into custody without incident.
“Miguel is a registered sex offender with an extensive criminal history,” the Corona police spokesman said.
After his arrest, further investigation revealed the defendant had engaged in illicit behavior with a teenage girl, though the circumstances were not disclosed.
Court records show he had prior convictions for statutory rape of a minor, sexual battery, domestic violence, stalking and making criminal threats.