Woman was held, attacked in trailer south of Ashland until she escaped 

Warning: This article includes mention of and some details about violence, including sexual violence, that readers may find offensive or disturbing.

By Stephen Floyd, Ashland.news

An Ashland man has been sentenced to 31 years in prison after a jury found him guilty last month of kidnapping, raping and brutalizing a then-18-year-old woman in 2020.

Christian Alexander Sanchez, 30, was convicted by a jury Sept. 16 of 12 felony counts including first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. 

During sentencing Thursday, Oct. 6, Sanchez received 370 months in prison. Because his charges were Measure 11 offenses, he will not be eligible for early release, alternative incarceration or earned time. 

Sanchez was arrested after a severely injured woman arrived at his grandparents Sept. 12, 2020, at their farm south of Ashland, explaining she had just escaped from a trailer on the property. A statement from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) said the grandparents had no knowledge of the kidnapping and agreed to drive the victim to her mother’s house in Medford.

Deputies later observed the victim was “covered from head to toe in injuries, which included fractured ribs, black eyes, a swollen jaw and battered feet.”

“The victim could not chew or breathe without pain,” said JCSO. “It was nearly impossible for her to walk and two ribs had been fractured. Her hair was so matted it would later have to be shaved.”

While testifying at Sanchez’ trial during the week of Sept. 13, the victim explained she and Sanchez were previously in a romantic relationship which ended after Sanchez broke her nose in mid-2020. Then, around Sept. 1, 2020, after Sanchez served three months in jail for an unrelated parole violation, he told the victim he was a changed man and had found God, and she agreed to spend a night with him.

Once at the trailer, the victim said, Sanchez quickly became violent and refused to allow her to leave. If she tried to escape, she was beaten, while Sanchez would also assault her any time he felt it was necessary to punish her behavior.

“The assaults were daily and included the use of a hammer, butane torch, glass foundation bottle, and Sanchez’s fists,” said JCSO. “Additionally, Sanchez threatened to use pliers to remove the victim’s teeth; going so far as to open her mouth and place the pliers directly on her teeth. Sanchez also attempted to pry out the victim’s body jewelry, strangled her to unconsciousness on multiple occasions and bit her all over her body.”

The sheriff’s office also said the victim was forced to ingest methamphetamine on multiple occasions, and if she refused she would again be beaten. She also said Sanchez raped her repeatedly during the two weeks, and refusal to have sex resulted in more beatings.

The victim was eventually able to escape the evening of Sept. 12, 2020, after Sanchez left to buy food. He had left behind the victim’s cell phone and she was able to contact her sister, who encouraged the victim to flee.

Later that night, deputies responded to the trailer and located Sanchez inside, but he refused multiple commands to exit. The door was forced open during the early hours of Sept. 13, 2020, and Sanchez was taken into custody, and has remained in the Jackson County Jail while awaiting trial.

During sentencing, Sanchez read a prepared statement, said JCSO, but offered no apology for his conduct. Judge Lorenzo Mejia said Sanchez displayed a “shocking” level of selfishness by failing to take responsibility for a “horrible” incident that will stay with his victim.

“This will affect her for the rest of her life,” Mejia told Sanchez. “You’re going to miss a lot, but this was awful and repeated abuse… You took advantage of her.”

The sheriff’s office said a family member of the victim spoke, expressing gratitude that after two years this was finally over for the victim.

“You will be forgotten after this day,” the family member said to Sanchez.

This was not his first conviction for sexual assault. 

In 2012, he was sentenced to five years in prison for offenses against multiple victims, including the rape of a girl younger than 14, the rape of two girls younger than 16, the rape of a girl younger than 18, and exchanging nude photographs online with another underaged female victim.

Email Ashland.news reporter Stephen Floyd at sfloyd[email protected].