On September 15, 2009, Judge Paul A. Vortmann imposed a prison sentence of twelve years and four months on 39-year-old Ricky Erick McConnaughy, of Visalia, for crimes he committed last August.

McConnaughy pled no contest on August 18, 2009 to a felony violation of Penal Code section 245(a)(1), assault with force likely to result in great bodily injury, and he admitted a special allegation for the infliction of great bodily injury on the victim. He also pled no contest to a felony violation of Penal Code section 207, kidnapping, a felony violation of Penal Code section 422, criminal threats, and a felony violation of Vehicle Code section 2800.2, evading a police officer. He admitted that he suffered a prior prison commitment within the last five years and pled no contest to three misdemeanors on that same date. The defendant will have to serve 85% of his twelve year and four month prison sentence before he can be paroled.

The charged crime occurred on August 17, 2008. At that time, McConnaughy kidnapped his girlfriend and drove her to an orchard in Tulare County. In the orchard, the defendant repeatedly punched the victim, bit her, and assaulted her with an unknown object. After the attack, the defendant continued to drive, and would not allow the victim to get out of the vehicle.

The next morning McConnaughy drove to Wal-Mart in Tulare. He got out of the truck to go into a business and threatened to harm the victim’s children if she was not waiting for him in the truck when he returned. After the defendant left, the victim escaped from the truck and found someone who called the police.

That afternoon an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on McConnaughy. As the officer walked up to the vehicle the defendant sped away, leading to a high speed chase. The chase ended when the defendant crashed his vehicle in a vineyard. McConnaughy was unlicensed and under the influence of methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Erika Ziegenhorn. It was investigated by Officer Detwiler of Exeter Police Department, Officer Clifton of Dinuba Police Department, and Investigator Frank Arnold from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Shani Jenkins (559) 733-6411.