Rudolph Martin Acosta

Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Mayor Jerry Dyer, survivor Mirna Garcia, and other local and state leaders held a news conference Friday to oppose the potential parole of convicted serial rapist Rudolph Martin Acosta.

Acosta, now 59, was sentenced to 78 years in state prison after sexually assaulting at least nine women in the Tower District in 1991. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 30, and Acosta used weapons to threaten them during the attacks.

He has been housed at Avenal State Prison since 1992.

“We are here to oppose the potential parole of Mr. Acosta, who was sentenced to 78 years in prison after torturing women,” Smittcamp said. “He went on a months-long series of rapes and sexual assaults in 1991. He is now eligible for parole because he was simply 25 years old and within the youthful offender parole age range in the state of California.”

Under California law, a youthful offender parole hearing reviews the parole suitability of individuals who were 25 or younger — or under 18 in some cases — at the time of their controlling offense.

Despite the violent nature of his crimes, Acosta is eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law.

Smittcamp noted that Acosta is also up for an adult parole hearing.

She spoke about the lasting trauma on survivors, emphasizing that the women live with the torment for the rest of their lives. Addressing the governor and lawmakers in Sacramento, Smittcamp said laws that allow violent offenders back into the population must be reevaluated.

“Enough is enough,” she said.

Smittcamp also talked about how people upset with the youthful offender parole laws should write to their Assembly and state Senate representatives. “Public safety has to become a priority again,” she said.

Survivor Says ‘I’m Reliving it Every Single Time He Asks for Parole’

Mirna Garcia, one of Acosta’s sexual assault victims and a survivor, criticized California laws that allow repeat parole hearings for violent offenders. She said each hearing forces her to relive the trauma she experienced decades ago.

“I was 16, and now I’m 50. I feel like I’m reliving it every single time he asks for parole,” Garcia said. “We have a voice. We are hurting. I implore all of you, please do your part. Please get the word out. Help us. I’m just one of many. I need all of you because we have to stick together. We have to be united. We have to be a tribe, a force. So please. Please help me.”

She called the state’s youth offender law a loophole that retraumatizes victims and said she feels as though she is serving a life sentence, too.

Garcia urged the public to sign petitions, send letters, and support efforts to prevent Acosta’s release.

Mayor Dyer Recalls the Investigation

Dyer, the patrol supervisor for the Fresno Police Department at the time, reflected on the investigation in the early 1990s, describing it as intense and terrifying for the community.

Officers lacked modern tools such as DNA analysis and video surveillance, he said, and instead relied on manual police work and nightly stakeouts.

“We worked night after night on the midnight shift,” Dyer said.

He described Acosta as a “violent sexual predator” who showed no remorse following his arrest. The case, which terrorized Fresno’s Tower District, involved multiple police units and required investigators to constantly adjust tactics because of the suspect’s changing crime patterns.

Officials urge the public to submit letters opposing Acosta’s release to the state Parole Board at BPH.CorrespondenceUnit@cdcr.ca.gov. Letters must be received by Thursday, May 22.

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