Ventura County<\/a> prosecutors had urged the court to impose the maximum three-year state prison sentence. They argued that Chavez\u2019s crimes warranted a much harsher punishment.<\/p>\n\u201cThe People requested the maximum three-year state prison sentence because the defendant exploited his position as a father, violated his daughter\u2019s trust, supplied her with alcohol, and engaged in criminal conduct that forever altered the course of her life,\u201d Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty said in a statement. \u201cWhile we respect the court\u2019s decision, we continue to believe a state prison sentence was warranted under the facts of this case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several members of Makayla\u2019s family addressed the court on Tuesday, delivering emotional victim impact statements. They described the lasting trauma caused by Chavez\u2019s disgusting actions and the devastating loss of the young woman.<\/p>\n
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As previously reported by Los Angeles Magazine, Makayla had moved from North Carolina to California in July 2025 to live with Chavez (her biological father) in hopes of starting a new life and attending college.<\/p>\n
The pair attended a family gathering where they consumed alcohol before Chavez purchased additional alcohol for them to drink after returning to his Moorpark home. Chavez later admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with his daughter. Makayla was later hospitalized after attempting to take her own life, and she died in December 2025.<\/p>\n
The case drew national attention and outrage because Chavez was never charged with rape.<\/p>\n
Following his arrest, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko ordered an extensive review to determine whether additional charges (including rape) could legally be filed. Prosecutors said investigators conducted additional interviews, obtained new forensic testing and medical evaluations, analyzed electronic evidence, and crafted a team of ten prosecutors to review the evidence. The office also consulted other prosecutors and legal experts from another county.<\/p>\n
After the review, officials sadly concluded that felony incest was the only felony charge supported by the law, admissible evidence and available facts. This was a decision that has remained deeply upsetting among Makayla\u2019s family and supporters.<\/p>\n
Makayla\u2019s mother, Carolina Sandoval, previously questioned how Chavez could face such limited punishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the charges, the most that he can get is three years [in prison],\u201d she previously told FOX 11. \u201cHe\u2019s 40. In 20 years this is gonna all go away for him?\u201d<\/p>\n
With Tuesday\u2019s ruling, Chavez received an even lighter sentence than prosecutors sought. Instead of state prison, he will serve one year in Ventura County Jail before beginning three years of felony probation.\u00a0<\/p>\n