Chen Sentenced to 36 Years for Brutal Rape

(Daniel J. Chen mugshot / UCPD)

Daniel Chen has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for the brutal rape of a UCSB student in 2014 in an official sentence hearing on Friday.

Chen, 22, accepted a plea bargain last month for two felony counts of rape and one felony count of robbery. 

The victim and authorities believe Chen did not act alone, but no other suspects are in custody regarding this case.

On February 23, 2014, the female victim was physically and sexually assaulted on UC Santa Barbara’s campus by Chen and presumably others in what was described by police as a gang rape. The victim was also robbed of her cell phone after the attack. 

Authorities received a 911 call near 4:00 a.m. and discovered the victim sustained severe injuries including a broken nose, eye trauma, and a ruptured eardrum. DNA and evidence were collected and entered into a database, however, the suspects remained unidentified for two years. In February 2016, Chen was arrested on a felony marijuana charge where his then submitted DNA sample matched the DNA from the crime scene. 

Past Articles

September 1, 2014 – FORMER UCSB STUDENT SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL RAPE ATTACK