SALINAS BARBER SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER BEING CONVICTED BY A JURY OF FORCIBLY SEXUALLY ASSAULTING HIS MALE CUSTOMER AT HIS BARBERSHOP

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced today that on August 27, 2026, Judge Mark E. Hood sentenced Rafael Martinez Vargas, age 45 and a resident of Salinas to 6 years in prison. Vargas was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. On July 24, 2026 a Monterey County jury found Vargas guilty of forcibly orally copulating John Doe 1, in violation of Penal Code section 287(c)(2)(A), and committing sexual battery upon John Doe 1 in violation of Penal Code section 243.4(e)(1). The jury also found true the allegation that the crime involved planning, sophistication, or professionalism. The forcible oral copulation offense is a serious and violent felony and is considered a strike under California's Three Strikes Law. At sentencing, Vargas continued to show no remorse for his conduct.

John Doe 1, an adult, had been a customer at Haircuts in Shape in Salinas for several years and had received haircutting services from Vargas during that time. He had never previously been assaulted by Vargas, and all of his prior haircuts had been routine. During what began as a routine haircut on March 3, 2024, John Doe 1 reported that Vargas began by touching Doe's genitals without his consent and then pulled down Doe 1's pants and began to orally copulate John Doe 1. Although John Doe 1 did not strike Vargas or scream, he repeatedly and forcefully attempted to push Vargas off of him. Vargas did not initially stop the assault, but John Doe 1 continued trying to stop Vargas until Doe 1 was ultimately able to get the assault to end. John Doe 1 subsequently called the police, and never returned to Haircuts in Shape after the assault.

In addition to John Doe 1, two other victims testified during the jury trial. Another male, John Doe 2 testified that in 2017, while receiving a haircut at Vargas' barbershop, Vargas reached into Doe 2's pants without his consent to touch his groin. Doe 2 described freezing during the assault and being unable to physically fight Vargas off. Like John Doe 1, Doe 2 never returned to Haircuts in Shape after the assault and reported the assault to law enforcement.

A third victim, John Doe 3, also testified that he was a customer at Vargas' barbershop in November 2019 when Vargas groped Doe 3's genitals over the clothes numerous times without Doe 3's consent. Doe 3 explained that he froze in response to the shock and trauma of the assault. Like the two other victims, he called the police after the assault and never returned to Haircuts in Shape.

This case was investigated by Salinas Police Department Officer Cassandra Schmidt. District Attorney Investigator Joe Hernandez assisted with the trial process. John Does 1, 2, and 3 were assisted by the District Attorney's Office Victim Advocate Mayra Sandoval.