Judge hands Fresno man 22-year prison sentence for kidnapping, beating girlfriend

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The sentencing came Friday for Ricardo Rosas, and he'll spend 22 years in prison for kidnapping and beating his girlfriend.

Despite a domestic violence history that dates back to 2008, his victim spoke in court and said Rosas is a good man.

Rosas never apologized for the brutal crime he was found guilty of, but he did say he would prefer a light sentence.

"I think I should be released sooner, but I'm not going to say less or no," he told the court. "But I think I should because I was actually out for a whole year. I did good this whole year while I was out. Yes, I went down and then I went back up. I was doing drugs, but I did stop for a while."

The victim also spoke in court, but only on Rosas behalf.

Rosas told the judge that he deserves whatever sentence he receives, but he also told him that a long prison sentence will only make him a better criminal.

"He's really a good person. He's not a bad person," the victim said. "And I don't think he deserves to do all that time for whatever he did."

Rosas attorney told the court during the time his client was out of jail, he managed to hold down a job for about a year until an extreme drug addiction got him back off track.

"It's very clear from the reports and testimony at trial that Mr. Rosas was trying to find heroin when the majority of the violence occurred," attorney DJ Brickey said.

Rosas asked for rehabilitation rather than a prison term.

"It's only going to make me a smarter criminal, and I don't want that anymore," he said. "If anything, I would like a program, because drugs are the main thing that keeps sending me back."

Rosas is also the sole suspect in the unsolved murder of 15-year-old Steven Humphrey. The teen's remains were found buried in Rosas' backyard but police weren't able to collect enough evidence to arrest him for the homicide.

As for the current conviction, the judge also noted his long criminal past.

"Mr. Rosas this is not about whether you are a good person or a bad person," Judge Jonathan Skiles said. "This is about the fact that you have a history of domestic violence going back to 2008."

Rosas said he plans to appeal the conviction.

Rosas blamed media coverage on the outcome of his trial, but the judge reminded him that a jury found him guilty after hearing the evidence.