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A Palo Alto man who worked as a night supervisor for janitorial services at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital was convicted by a federal jury for aggravated sexual abuse after he trapped a coworker in an exam room and forced her to engage in sexual activity, according to the Department of Justice.
Onofre Salas-Lozano, 42, was convicted by a San Jose jury on Jan. 31 after DNA evidence confirmed the presence of his sperm in the underwear of the victim, an employee over whom he had direct supervision. The assault happened on July 2, 2021, according to the DOJ. The woman suffered traumatic tissue injury during the assault, which occurred after he isolated and trapped her in a patient exam room late at night.
Salas-Lozano was charged with aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse by fear and making false statements to a federal agent during an investigation, according to the news release from the Department of Justice. He had reportedly told a special agent from the VA Office of Inspector General that he did not have sexual intercourse on July 2, 2021, or at any other time. During the trial, however, he claimed to have had consensual sex with her at a different time and had denied making the false statement.
“Salas-Lozano used his position as a supervisor to sexually assault a fellow employee. Federal law enforcement will do all it can to secure justice for any victim of sexual assault,” U.S Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said in a news release. “This jury verdict ensures that the Salas-Lozano will now face severe consequences for his despicable acts.”
Salas-Lozano’s conviction followed a three-week trial in the court of Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. Salas-Lozano was facing a maximum penalty of life in prison for each of the two counts relating to sexual abuse and a maximum penalty of eight years in prison for the false statement, according to the Department of Justice.
The conviction followed an investigation led by the VA Office of Inspector General, with significant assistance from the VA Police Service, according to the news release.
