by | Published
A defendant identified as Faustino Ruiz has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Sexual Assault of a Child, bringing an end to a case that required a retrial.
Ruiz's sentencing on October 14, 2025, follows his arrest in 2021 on allegations of sexually abusing a child over the course of several years. The investigation revealed that the abuse began when the victim was approximately 9 years old and continued until they disclosed the abuse at age 16.
Ruiz was initially tried in January 2025, which resulted in a mistrial after the jury acquitted him on one charge but was unable to reach a decision on five remaining counts. To spare the victim from reliving the trauma on the witness stand during a second trial, the District Attorney's Office reached a resolution with defense counsel, resulting in the 20-year sentence.
Due to the severity of the offense, Ruiz must serve at least half of the sentence—10 years—before becoming eligible for parole.
The District Attorney’s Office expressed gratitude for the victim’s courage and thanked Sgt. Albert Garza of the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office, forensic interviewer Devyn Woodruff, and Dr. Lora Spiller for their critical roles, as well as Atascosa County prosecutors Erika Price and Audrey Vasquez for their relentless efforts.
