San Marcos Man Sentenced To 90 Years For Committing Long-Term Sexual Abuse Against Two Children

On August 8, 2019, Mario Ruiz, age 34, was sentenced to 90 years in prison for committing long-term sexual abuse against two young children.

Ruiz’ sentence arises from his conviction at trial on June 25, 2019, when a Hays County jury found him guilty after hearing evidence that Ruiz sexually abused his elementary-school-aged stepdaughter for several years. Ruiz then began to commit the same crimes against the stepdaughter’s younger sister, who came forwards to her mother about the abuse.

The case was investigated by Sergeants Mark Opiela and Troy Mayes of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office and Detective Robert Elrod of San Marcos Police Department.

Following the jury’s verdict, the case was scheduled for sentencing on August 8, at which time 453rd Judicial District Court Judge David Junkin sentenced Ruiz to the total of ninety years in prison: 45 years for Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child, a consecutive 45 years for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, and 12 years for Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact, to be served concurrently with the first two counts.

The prosecution was led by Assistant Criminal District Attorney Kathleen Arnold with A.D.A. Jamie Liu assisting during trial. Criminal District Attorney Wes Mau recognized the law enforcement officer and witnesses who worked on bringing the case to a just conclusion.

“First and foremost, without these brave young girls coming forward, Mr. Ruiz’s crimes would have remained secret, as such crimes so often do. We also appreciate the hard work of the detectives, forensic interviewer Bethany Bishop, and the children’s counselor, Heidi Reddin,” Mau said, “Judge Junkin’s sentence in this case will ensure that Mr. Ruiz’s days of preying on young girls are over.”