Chelan County Courthouse.
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A Wenatchee man, found guilty of raping a young woman while she was incapacitated, has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
Chelan County Superior Court Judge Robert E. Jourdan on Thursday sentenced Israel Gonzalez-Munoz, 48, to an exceptional sentence of 384 months to life in prison.
The defendant is subject to the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, meaning that at the end of his ordered sentence, Gonzalez-Munoz will have to appear before a review board and be granted permission to leave prison; he could spend up to life in prison.
A jury on Aug. 9 found Gonzalez-Munoz guilty of one count of second-degree rape, one count of second-degree assault, and five counts of first-degree voyeurism for taking photos of the young woman’s intimate areas while she was unconscious.
In October 2020, Gonzalez-Munoz was arrested after the young woman reported to police that she woke up in his Wenatchee apartment missing some of her clothing. She told police she had been intoxicated the night before and accepted a ride from Gonzalez-Munoz, who she met for the first time at a dance they were both at that evening. Gonzalez-Munoz took the woman to his apartment. She
remembered little of the evening, and awoke confused as to why her clothing was missing.
In Superior Court last week, the survivor detailed her ongoing trauma caused by the crime, which has “torn her to pieces,” she said, reading from a statement.
“I would like to say to anyone (who) has experienced anything similar to what I have detailed in this statement: you’re amazing,” she read. “You are not alone; I see you and well done for standing up for yourself and helping create a safer society."
The Chelan County Prosecutor’s Office relied on at least 15 agency partners, or some 35 individuals, in prosecuting the case.
“This case was unique in that nearly every agency I regularly work with, and several I don’t, came together to bring justice to this young woman,” said Micaela Meadows, Chelan County deputy prosecuting attorney. “It made all the difference to have the support of these agencies.”
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