Exclusive | Mom of teen girl who killed herself after dad’s horrific incest takes aim at Gov. Gavin Newsom

A heartbroken mom whose teenage daughter died by suicide after the girl’s biological father had sex with her is demanding Gov. Gavin Newsom crack down on California’s sex crime laws after the disgusting dad escaped with just one year in county jail.

Carolina Sandoval told The California Post she wants lawmakers to pass legislation in her daughter Makayla Rene Settles’ name, after Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, was sentenced to one year in county jail and three years’ probation after pleading guilty to felony incest and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

“It is ridiculous. It’s not justice,” Sandoval, 40, said of the sentence. “I’m going to fight to change these laws because no other family should have to go through what we’ve gone through.”

Settles, 18, had moved from her childhood home in North Carolina to Moorpark, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, to live with her father. In July of 2025, Chavez plied her with alcohol before having sex with her. Makayla died by suicide five months later.

Prosecutors ultimately did not file a rape charge, saying the evidence only supported the incest conviction. Chavez insisted the encounter was consensual.

Sandoval said other victims of sexual abuse who attended Chavez’s court hearings blasted Newsom for what they believe is a weak approach to prosecuting sex crimes.

“They let me know this is just how he is. If anything, what happened with Makayla proves all of them right. It makes sense why everybody’s so angry,” she said.

“I would love for him to take the time to look at the entire case and see what went wrong and where changes can happen for other victims.

“It’s exactly why women don’t speak out. They relive everything over and over, only for the end result to come out like this. It’s a slap in the face.”

Sandoval said prosecutors later told her a rape charge could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt despite her daughter giving detectives multiple statements, including a recorded video interview.

“But once she died, they told me her evidence was no longer valid,” Sandoval said.

“They even have an audio recording of Makayla telling her cousin what happened. You can hear the heartbreak in her voice. They had all this information, but they said it wasn’t enough.”

The sentence came despite prosecutors asking the judge to impose the maximum three-year state prison term over time in county jail.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said Chavez admitted abusing a position of trust and acknowledged that Makayla was particularly vulnerable. He also must register as a sex offender for 20 years.

Erin Meister, chief deputy district attorney in Ventura County who oversees the sexual assault unit, told the Post that evidence to bring a potential rape charge against Chavez was studied by senior prosecutors. She added that it was “peer reviewed by legal experts from another county, all of whom arrived at the conclusion that incest was the only felony charge supported by the facts, the law, and the evidence.”

Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers, added to the Post: “Dead women tell no tales, and unfortunately, Chavez unjustly benefited from his daughter’s tragic suicide.”

“Without her testifying and establishing lack of consent, the District Attorney didn’t think it could prove rape. It is a miscarriage of justice and sends the wrong message to other perpetrators of incest and sex abuse.”

Newsom’s office said it couldn’t comment on decisions made by local law enforcement or courts.

“The suggestion that Governor Newsom does not take sexual assault seriously is simply false,” the governor’s office said in a statement to the Post. “Throughout his administration, the Governor has consistently signed legislation, invested in survivor services, strengthened protections for victims, and expanded resources to prevent sexual violence and support survivors.”

Carolina called California’s sex abuse and rape laws “a huge gray area,” adding, “Something has to change. It feels like they cater to the predator more than the victim.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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