Man sentenced to prison for burglaries, sexual battery

In the early morning of Jan. 2, 2017, Espinoza-Vasquez was spotted exiting a resident’s window and taken into custody after he broke into several apartments in a building, as well as nearby duplexes near North Kingston Street and North Bayshore Boulevard, San Mateo police said previously.

Further investigation revealed that at two separate locations, Espinoza-Vasquez grabbed two male victims’ genitals and stole property from their homes. He also stole various items such as money and electronics from other homes in the North Shoreview neighborhood. All of the property was recovered either on him or nearby, according to police and prosecutors.

Espinoza-Vasquez also had misdemeanor sexual battery charges filed against him for a 2016 case in which he groped a man at the 24-Hour Fitness at 93 Bovet Road in San Mateo, according to prosecutors.

With 10 other misdemeanor convictions on his record, Espinoza-Vasquez has been known to have previously declined treatment in programs and not take them seriously, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

“Judge Ayoob did an excellent job with this sentencing, taking into account that Mr. Espinoza-Vasquez is not sincere about getting drug treatment,” he said. “Public safety calls for prison.”

Espinoza-Vasquez’s defense attorney Edward Pomeroy could not be immediately reached for comment.