A former University of California student from Dublin heard a guilty verdict Tuesday in his rape case — and then broke free from bailiffs and sprinted down a Santa Barbara street before being tackled.
The three-month trial of Arian Eteghaei, 23 — accused of sex crimes against multiple women — ended with his conviction on counts including forcible rape. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on 14 counts, the Santa Barbara County district attorney said.
His attorney requested that Eteghaei remain out on bail until his April 8 sentencing; he contended that his client, who has been free on electronic monitoring for several years, was not a flight risk, the Santa Barbara Independent reported. The judge denied the request and ordered that Eteghaei be taken into custody.
Shortly afterward, as bailiffs were escorting him across a street outside the courthouse, Eteghaei broke free and ran, his hands shackled in front of him, the Independent said.
An account by Noozhawk, which posted video of the brief escape, said he made it about a block before he was tackled by a bailiff, who then was apparently aided by two bystanders.
Eteghaei graduated in 2020 from Dublin High School, where he was a standout soccer player. The following year, as a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, he was accused of sexual assaults on three women, including a former girlfriend.
He was first apprehended in August 2021 at the Oakland airport and placed on house arrest at his family’s Dublin home during investigation of the allegations. Once the case was publicized, more women came forward, and he was eventually charged with felony sexual assault of 11 women, court documents said.
Taken to trial were charges of sexual assaults of five women and battery against the sixth. Guilty verdicts were returned for charges of forcible rape of one woman and forcible sexual penetration and misdemeanor domestic violence against another.
Eteghaei faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison, the district attorney said Tuesday.