Convicted rapist gets 25 to life in prison

OROVILLE — A man convicted of rape received a life sentence on Thursday based on California’s three-strikes rule.

Leanard Wilson, 41, of Chico was given 25 years to life in prison by Butte County Superior Court Judge Kristen Lucena, according to a press release issued Thursday by District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

Ramsey said Wilson had two previous violent crime convictions going back to 2003 when he had to serve 14 years of prison time. Wilson was on parole when he was charged with rape in 2021.

Wilson was seen by a neighbor punching a woman in the face on Aug. 8, 2021, according to the release. The woman, named Jane Doe in the release and in court, tried to run away from Wilson and go inside her home but he broke in after and threatened her before cornering her.

While she was trapped in the bedroom, her roommates called the police. Doe was able to escape her room and get help from the officers, the release said.

“A life sentence is a just outcome for a man who has consistently and violently attacked others. In this case, he assaulted his 69-year-old neighbor unprovoked, forced his way into her home and bedroom, and sexually assaulted her,” Ramsey said. “Offenders like Wilson are why we need the Three Strikes Law.”

Wilson will also be registered as a sex offender for life.