Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke announced today that on October 20, 2025, 45-year-old Sonora resident Juan Manuel Penuelas was sentenced to 14 years 4 months State Prison after a jury convicted him of multiple offenses.
On May 12, 2025, Tuolumne County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence in Sonora for report of a domestic violence incident that was being reported by concerned family member of the victim. The victim was contacted inside the home with a large laceration to her leg, that later required 15 stitches, as well as injuries to her neck and arm. It was learned that during the previous night and early morning, the defendant, with whom the victim had a dating relationship, became enraged and accused the victim of cheating on him. He then proceeded to strangle, strike, punch, and drag the victim around her home causing her to lose consciousness. At one point, while strangling the victim, she looked down and saw that she had been sliced in the leg by a knife that the defendant has allegedly put in his pocket. The defendant was contacted outside of the residence and had methamphetamine in his pocket.
The jury trial commenced on August 6, 2025 and verdicts were returned on August 8, 2025. The jury convicted the defendant of Inflicting Injury on a Person with Whom he had a Dating Relationship, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The jury found true that the defendant had personally inflicted great bodily injury and found true aggravating factors including that the crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness.
A court trial was held after the verdicts where Judge Laura L. Krieg found true allegations that the defendant had a prior strike offense, the defendant had two or more prior felony convictions, the defendant has engaged in violent conduct that indicated a serious danger to society, the defendant’s prior convictions were numerous or of increasing seriousness, and the defendant had served a prior term in prison.
The defense requested the Court to strike his prior strike that he suffered in 2003 when he hit a Sheriff’s deputy in San Joaquin County with a vehicle as he was trying to evade arrest. In arguing against striking the strike, the People noted that this is not the first time the defendant has been convicted of domestic violence. His prior convictions include six prior convictions of inflicting injury on a person with whom he had a dating relationship, most of which occurred in San Joaquin County. The People presented evidence of the facts of prior cases that were similar in conduct to the offense in this case. Further, the defendant continually denied and lacked accountability for his actions.
At sentencing on October 20, 2025, Judge Krieg denied the defendant’s motion to strike his prior strike finding that the subject offense “was a very violent offense” and that the defendant is “a danger to society as well as to women.” The Probation Department recommended the maximum aggravated sentence of 21 years 8 months State Prison. The People argued for the same maximum sentence; however, Judge Krieg did dismiss one of the enhancements related to his prior criminal conduct and sentenced the defendant to 14 years 4 months State Prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Novelli.
Survivors of domestic abuse in Tuolumne County can access free, confidential, and anonymous support services through Center for a Non-Violent Community (CNVC) and can be reached via a 24/7 crisis and support line at (209) 533-3401
