Santa Rosa Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Rape and Assault

Defendant Devin Patrick Dwyer, 35 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced October 2nd by the Honorable Judge Kenneth Gnoss to serve nine years and four months, plus 30 years-to-life in state prison, after having been found guilty by a jury in April of this year on charges including rape and false imprisonment.

District Attorney Rodriguez stated, “Mr. Dwyer committed unspeakable acts against the victim and has more than earned this prison sentence. We are thankful to the jury for serving on such a difficult case, and for rendering a just verdict.”

On a Friday in March of 2023, the victim in the case met defendant through a mutual friend while at the Whiskey Tip bar in Santa Rosa. The group of friends spent time together throughout the weekend. On Sunday, the victim accompanied Dwyer back to his residence where Dwyer threatened, physically assaulted, and falsely imprisoned the victim for hours before brutally raping her in his bedroom. The victim later ran from the defendant’s home and asked for help from a neighbor. When law enforcement arrived, they found the victim crying and bruised.

Following a twelve-day jury trial, Dwyer was found guilty of rape, along with an aggravating factor that he tied and bound the victim during the offense. The jury also found Dwyer guilty of assault, false imprisonment, and criminal threats. Dwyer’s sentence was also increased due to his prior conviction for a violent felony (often referred to as a “strike” offense) stemming from an incident in which he committed an act of domestic violence and inflicted great bodily injury upon the victim. Dwyer’s “strike” offense acted to double the length of his prison sentence in the current case.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Tania Partida, assisted by District Attorney Investigator Dave Linscomb. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation.

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