San Miguel woman convicted of assault with baseball bat
Janine Laurice Cesena.
Investigation revealed that Cesena believed the victim had been involved in a relationship with her girlfriend, but the evidence presented at trial disproved that claim
– San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced that Janine Laurice Cesena was convicted by a San Luis Obispo County jury of assault with a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury in a 2023 attack in San Miguel.
The jury found that on Oct. 12, at about 9:54 p.m., Cesena struck a male victim with a baseball bat in the chest and head in the parking lot of San Miguel’s Dollar General store. The assault resulted in the victim suffering a brain bleed, hearing and vision loss, and difficulty concentrating. Evidence presented at trial showed that Cesena’s attack was unprovoked and that she had been lying in wait in the parking lot before the assault, as captured by the store’s video surveillance.
The investigation revealed that Cesena believed the victim had been involved in a relationship with her girlfriend, but the evidence presented at trial disproved that claim. Following the assault, Cesena fled the scene and stayed with a friend until her arrest on Oct. 15.
The jury also found several aggravating factors related to the assault. These included that Cesena personally inflicted great bodily injury on the victim, that the crime involved great violence or a high degree of cruelty or viciousness, and that the victim was particularly vulnerable.
“We appreciate the jury’s time and service as they carefully considered all evidence before holding the defendant accountable for her actions,” said Dow. “This unprovoked violent crime was shocking, and our hearts go out to the victim who sustained serious injuries and whose testimony was heard loud and clear by the jury.”
Cesena is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 15 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 9 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, with Judge Crystal T. Seiler presiding. She faces a possible maximum sentence of seven years in state prison.
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was led by Deputy District Attorney Kalina Laleva, and victim support services were provided by Victim Advocate Divina Diaz.
