Texas man may spend life in prison for raping a Kennewick girl. He’ll start with 20 years
A Texas man will serve a minimum of 20 years in prison and could face up to life after he abused a young girl.
Gabriel Valdez, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child rape, in addition to using a position of trust to take advantage of the girl, according to court documents.
Even after admitting to the crimes in court, Valdez denied abusing the child when he spoke with Department of Corrections investigators, according to the documents.
“Mr. Valdez seemed to have little concern about the victim or the family in this crime as he stated he did not do what he pleaded guilty to,” corrections officials wrote in a report. “He just wants to get on with his life and put this behind him.”
When he was sentenced last week, Valdez faced a minimum sentence from nearly 15 years to about 20 years.
Once he’s finished serving his initial sentence, Washington’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board will determine when he can be freed. The board could decide that he must serve up to life in prison.
Benton County Deputy Prosecutor Brittnie Roehm said Valdez, who was acting as his own attorney, agreed on a recommendation of about 17 years.
“The defendant’s actions took a significant emotional toll on the victim in this case,” Roehm told the Tri-City Herald. She agreed to the recommendation to save the girl the further stress of a trial.
But Judge David Petersen wasn’t happy that Valdez didn’t take responsibility for the crime, and sentenced him to the maximum end of the range.
The sentencing brings a lengthy case to an end. It’s been nearly seven years since the crime came to light, and two years since he was brought from Louisiana to face the charges.
Valdez filed more than 75 motions while acted as his own attorney, the prosecutor’s office said.
Doing ‘bad things’
Kennewick police learned about the abuse in 2016 when the young victim told her sister that Valdez had been “doing bad stuff” to her for two years, according to court documents. The student then reported that to police.
The girl described two times when Valdez raped her — one in 2015 and one in 2016. Both happened while they were in his car, once when they were parked in the Columbia Center mall parking lot.
It’s unclear what happened in the two-year gap between the initial report and when prosecutors filed the case in 2018. But in the stretch, he had moved out of the state.
Valdez, a union carpenter, told investigators that he tried to get work at the Hanford site, but wasn’t able to find consistent jobs so he left.
When he didn’t show up for his initial court date, an arrest warrant was issued for him with bail increased to $500,000.
He was caught while driving in Louisiana, according to police reports. He attempted to fight extradition and lost and was brought back to the Tri-Cities in 2021.