A Santa Barbara jury on Tuesday found 24-year-old Kahlil Byers guilty of kidnapping for purposes of sexual assault and sodomy for an assault on a homeless woman in Santa Barbara last year.
On April 18, 2018, at approximately 5 a.m., the District Attorney’s Office says Byers chased the victim, caught her and dragged her into a driveway. He then put her behind a trash dumpster, where he “savagely” beat and forcibly sexually assaulted her.
The woman sustained a fractured eye socket, a fractured left cheekbone, and multiple fractures to her nose. She endured a severe cut to her upper lip that required 23 stitches to repair, and another cut near her right eyebrow that also required multiple stitches to treat.
Byers was also found guilty for committing burglaries at Foot Locker and Santa Barbara Jewelry and Loan.
“The jury’s verdict is a testament to the fact that all victims will be treated equally, regardless of their socio-economic status or mental state,” said Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Karapetian.
Byers will now face a sentence of 51 years and four months to life. He’ll be sentenced on April 17, 2019, in the Santa Barbara Superior Court.
