Santa Rosa Man Convicted In Sexual Assault Of Elderly Woman; Faces 37 Years In Prison
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) – A Sonoma County man has been convicted for sexually assaulting an elderly woman in 2019 and will be sentenced to more than three decades in state prison, as part of an agreement reached with prosecutors.
According to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, 52-year-old Michael Sean Phillips of Santa Rosa pleaded no contest on Monday to felony sexual assault charges, with an enhancement for the victim being above the age of 65.
The charges stemmed from a March 2019 incident where Phillips sexually assaulted a 72-year-old woman in her Santa Rosa apartment. Prosecutors said the victim, who requires the use of a cane or walker, spotted Philips watching her outside her apartment while she was smoking. The victim returned to her apartment and a short time later, Phillips forced entry and proceeded to assault her.
Prosecutors said the victim did not alert authorities until the following morning because Phillips hid her telephone.
According to the DA's office, Phillips left his cap behind in the victim's apartment. Through DNA testing, prosecutors found a match in the FBI's database. Phillips' DNA was entered into the system following the burglary of another Santa Rosa woman in 2007. In that case, Phillips was convicted of residential burglary.
Phillips was determined to be the suspect following additional testing of the victim's apartment and after the victim recognized his face in photographs.
Under the terms of the agreement, Phillips will be sentenced to 37 years in prison at a court hearing in June.
