Woodland, CA (MPG) - Late afternoon on January 30, 2020, a Yolo County jury convicted Jesus Reyes of inflicting corporal injury on his girlfriend, false imprisonment with force or violence, and two counts of dissuading witnesses from calling law enforcement.

On April 4, 2019, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Winters resident Jesus Reyes drove to an apartment complex in west Davis. Reyes was driving with his girlfriend in the front passenger seat. He started to violently punch, slap, and head-butt his girlfriend. One of the witnesses described it as a “continuous beating.” Reyes’ girlfriend struggled to get out of the car, but he pulled her back in the car and tried to drive away.

A Davis mother and her son who were outside saw the brutal assault and started to yell at Reyes to “Let her go, let her go.” Reyes pulled out of the apartment complex and pointed his finger directly at the mother and her son. He yelled, “You don’t tell anyone.” Reyes drove off with the victim in the car before law enforcement could arrive.

With the help of the mother and her son who were able to get the license plate number of the car, the Davis Police Department was able to track down where Reyes and his girlfriend were. The Davis Police Department and Winters Police Department worked together to locate the girlfriend, who was actively bleeding from her face two hours after the assault. Reyes barricaded himself in his house and lied to officers about where his girlfriend was. Winters police saw her crouched down behind Reyes in the home. Reyes has a violent history, including prior domestic violence charges.

District Attorney Jeff Reisig stated: “We pursue justice for victims and witnesses of domestic violence crimes. People who physically abuse their significant others can be extremely violent. When this type of violence is seen in public, it is not usually the first signs of physical abuse in the relationship. We are fortunate there are people in the community who will stand up and call law enforcement when seeing such extreme violence.”

Reyes faces around 20 years in state prison because of his prior strike conviction. Sentencing is set for March 2, 2020.