A Ventura County man was sentenced to prison Wednesday for torturing and murdering his girlfriend.
Saul Nava, 24, of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced to 50 years and 8 months to life in prison for the murder of Alisen Takacs-Escobar, and the torture and kidnapping of a previous girlfriend who survived his abuse, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
On Christmas Eve in 2021, Nava called authorities after several days of beating and torturing Takacs-Escobar in an apartment they shared in Thousand Oaks.
Arriving officers found the woman with injuries all over her body including extensive bruising, a large laceration on her head, and “degrading words” that were freshly tattooed on her chest.
Nava was taken into custody at the scene.
Inside the apartment, authorities found baseball bats, a hammer, a screwdriver and tattoo equipment that were all used on Takacs-Escobar.
On the suspect’s cell phone, deputies found videos that were taken just hours before the woman’s death that show Nava “taunting her and displaying no concern for her worsening condition,” court documents said.
While investigating the murder, detectives identified an ex-girlfriend who had survived Nava’s abuse. Nava initially met the second victim when they were both teenagers.
He then brought her into his home, confined her to a closet and assaulted her, investigators said. At one point, she tried to run away but Nava found her and threatened her with a knife until she got into his car.
The victim was impregnated by Nava when she was 17. Deputies said Nava punched her in the stomach and convinced her to get an abortion.
He also punched her in the face, choked her and secretly filmed her having sex with him, authorities said. The abuse only ended in the summer of 2021 when Nava started dating Takacs-Escobar.
On Oct. 15, Nava was convicted by a jury of:
- First-degree murder
- Torture
- Kidnapping
- Aggravated mayhem
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Possession of child pornography
- Three counts of inflicting corporal injury to current or former cohabitant/spouse
Special allegations he was also convicted of include:
- The crime involved great violence
- Victim was vulnerable
- The manner in which the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism
- Defendant has engaged in violent conduct
- Defendant was armed with and used a weapon
“The sentence imposed reflects the heinous nature of the defendant’s horrific conduct,” said David Russell, a senior deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case. “While nothing will make the victim’s family whole again, this sentence will protect the community from an offender who tortured and abused vulnerable victims.”
