By Khalida Sarwari
A Carmel man convicted of sexually assaulting his male friend earlier this year may face up to 12 years and four months in prison when he is sentenced next month.
A Monterey County jury on Friday found Dario Wozniski, 53, guilty of a number of crimes, including assault with intent to commit forcible oral copulation, attempted forcible oral copulation, felony false imprisonment, maliciously attempting to dissuade a witness from making a report of a crime to law enforcement and resisting or delaying a peace officer.
The charges stem from an incident on the morning of Jan. 14 when the victim, Wozniski’s friend, visited him at his encampment near the river behind the Crossroads, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
The friend, known as “John Doe,” had been at his girlfriend’s home, but after the two got into a fight, he took the bus to go see Wozniski. When he arrived, the two of them talked and during the middle of the conversation, Wozniski punched Doe and proceeded to sexually assault him, prosecutors said.
At the same time, Doe’s girlfriend called his cellphone to check on him and the call was somehow picked up. She overheard the assault in progress and called 911.
Monterey County sheriff’s deputies responded and arrested Wozniski.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 13, according to the district attorney’s office.
Wozniski’s record also includes a 1977 felony assault conviction in Pennsylvania and a burglary at the Carmel Mission in Jan. 2009, for which he was on probation.