SANTA ANA, Calif. – A registered sex offender was sentenced today to life in state prison without the possibility of parole for the special circumstances murder of a 29-year-old woman in the course of sexually assaulting her in a Stanton motel room. Charles Patrick Drew, 65, transient, was found guilty by a jury on Sept. 15, 2015, of one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of rape, sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration by foreign object, one felony count each of rape of an unconscious person, sodomy of unconscious victim, oral copulation of unconscious person, sexual penetration by foreign object of unconscious victim, and aggravated assault. The defendant's two prior strike convictions for forcible rape and assault with a deadly weapon in Orange County in 1995 were found to be true.

Sometime between March 17, 2012, and March 18, 2012, Drew stayed in a rented motel room at Motel 6 in Stanton with 29-year-old Amber Oceja, under the guise that he was the victim's care-taker. During that time, Drew brutally sexually assaulted the victim while she was unconscious including rape, sodomy, and oral copulation. Drew also used a razor blade to mutilate several parts of the victim's body. The victim died from a diabetic shock shortly after the sexual assault. Drew then attempted to clean the scene of the crime and dispose of the materials that he had used to clean the room.

On March 19, 2012, Drew walked outside of his motel room and asked someone to call 911 because the victim was unresponsive.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene and investigated this case.

During Drew's sentencing today, pursuant to Marsy's Law, a written victim impact statement from Amber Oceja's mother was read to the court. In her written statement, Lydia Ocejo said, “Because I cannot express myself verbally, I write to you in simple words first to express my gratitude for all that you have done for me specifically the Judge and the District Attorney. Many thanks to all the detectives and all the advocates, all the jurors and everyone who assisted on the case. I thought that this case had been long forgotten because we are poor and humble people but I see now that justice was done. For me, my life has ended. A piece of my heart was ripped apart. There are days when I lie awake unable to sleep because I'm constantly thinking of what's become of my grandchildren. What is to become of them growing up without the nurturing affection of family? The defendant did not murder one person, he murdered two. My husband did not make it to our daughter's funeral because 5 days before her services, the pain and burden was too much for him and he suffered a stroke and died. During the 5 weeks after Amber, I lost two people in less than two months. I was left alone in the world. My deepest gratitude to your honor, to the DA, to the advocates, to all those who worked on this case… I wish I could name you all. Thank you on behalf of the Ocejo Family.”

Assistant District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh of the Special Prosecutions Unit, formerly of the Homicide Unit, prosecuted this case.

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 13ZF0161 / October 23, 2015