'Chandler Rapist' suspect pleads guilty, gets 168½ years
by Megan Boehnke - Mar. 1, 2010 11:45 AM

A 39-year-old Valley man who authorities say stalked and raped six young girls in Chandler on Monday agreed to a prison sentence of 168½ years as part of a plea agreement.

Santana Batiz-Aceves, dubbed the "Chandler Rapist," was charged with 47 counts, including child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor, kidnapping, aggravated assault and burglary. Police say he attacked girls from June 2006 to November 2007.

Batiz-Aceves pleaded guilty to 12 counts, including attempted sexual conduct with a minor and molestation. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2 before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kristin Hoffman.

The case left the city on edge for two years and received significant media attention. On April 9, Judge Theresa A. Sanders denied Batiz-Aceves' request to have the trial moved out of Maricopa County.

The construction worker, who called himself Ricardo Lopez, was arrested Jan. 13, less than 24 hours after police said DNA test results confirmed he was a match for a serial rapist who had been stalking and raping young girls in Chandler.

Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, Batiz-Aceves began living in the United States illegally in 1988 and lived in Sacramento for nearly 16 years, where he worked for a construction company.

Three of the victims were students at Andersen Junior High School, police said.

In all but one of the cases, police believe, the rapist followed the victims for weeks, targeting single-parent homes.

In the incidents, the rapist studied the parent's routine, developed a quick escape route and then struck, police said.


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