A man who attacked two women, stabbing and beating them, at a home in rural Arroyo Grande was sentenced Wednesday to two consecutive life sentences.
On Sept. 9, 2017, Alberto Isaac Gonzalezpenaloza and his wife were visiting her aunt when Gonzalezpenaloza attacked both women, stabbing them multiple times with several knives and striking them with the stock of a shotgun.
After the attack, Gonzalezpenaloza fled into the wilderness near Lopez Lake. The victims, despite suffering life-threatening injuries, were able to call for help. Law enforcement officials searched the area and found Gonzalezpenaloza after a couple of hours.
In January, Gonzalezpenaloza pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted premeditated murder.
According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, Gonzalezpenaloza will serve his sentence in state prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 22 years. The court also issued a criminal protective order prohibiting him from contacting the victims for ten years and ordered him to pay more than $13,000 in restitution.
In court on Wednesday, the prosecutor read a statement from one of the victims, which said, “The damage he has caused me is an everyday struggle. It has been emotionally, psychologically, physically and financially damaging. The devastating suffering I endured from the impact the Defendant has created has rerouted my life emotionally and physically.”
