South County man convicted of multiple crimes including rape, assault
Bryce Littlejohns (45) of Oceano.
Bryce Littlejohns (45) of Oceano, faces maximum sentence of over 23 years in state prison
– San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced that on Tuesday, June 11, a San Luis Obispo County jury found Bryce Littlejohns (45) of Oceano, guilty of numerous crimes he committed against his former spouse in March 2020, and related crimes against law enforcement.
On the evening of March 5, 2020, the defendant attacked his former spouse in her home. The defendant punched, tackled, kicked, and threw the victim into walls causing severe bruising to her face, arms, and legs.
Amid the hours long physical assault, the defendant committed rape and forcible oral copulation upon the victim attempting to inflict his power and control over her.
At one point, the defendant strangled the victim while threatening to kill her. When the victim finally saw an opportunity to attempt to call police, the defendant took the phone from her hands and destroyed it.
The attack continued until the next morning. During the entire incident, an 8-year-old child was present in the residence. When law enforcement arrived the next morning, the defendant did not cooperate with sheriff’s deputies. Instead, he forcefully assaulted sheriff deputies, threw K9 Officer “Benny” down a flight of stairs, and resisted their attempts to arrest him.
The jury convicted Littlejohns of rape, forced oral copulation, criminal threats, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, assault likely to inflict great bodily injury, and felony domestic abuse.
He was also convicted of resisting an executive officer by force, resisting/obstructing or delaying a peace officer, unlawful firearm activity, violation of a court-issued restraining order, and assault on a police animal.
The three-week trial was presided over by the Honorable Michael S. Frye in courtroom D6.
“The victim-survivor was very courageous in coming forward and testifying to what the defendant did to her,” said Dow. “We are grateful for the good Samaritan neighbor who called 9-1-1 at the request of the victim after the defendant destroyed her phone. If anyone reading this is in an abusive relationship, I want to encourage them to reach out for help. Tell a friend, report to law enforcement, or seek the assistance of support groups like Lumina Alliance.”
Earlier this year in February, a separate jury found the defendant guilty of misdemeanor spousal abuse in violation of Penal Code section 273.5(a), from an incident on Nov. 14, 2019, with the same victim.
Littlejohns will remain in custody and will be sentenced on July 23, 2024, for both cases. The maximum sentence that the defendant faces is over 23 years in state prison.
These cases were prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney James Statton and investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
