One of the two men who broke into a Santa Barbara County home and sexually assaulted a woman before fatally injuring her has been convicted of first degree murder.
Prosecutors say in July of 2015, Victor Martinez and Jose Villagomez entered the Santa Maria home of Marilyn Pharis while she was sleeping. Pharis woke up, and tried to fight back as Martinez sexually assaulted her, and attacked her with a hammer.
She was able to call 911 after the two men fled, but later died from her injuries. Martinez will face life in prison without the possibility of parole when he’s sentenced next week. The other man involved in the attack, Jose Villagomez, pled guilty and is expected to be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
