Arizona Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years After Guilty Plea in Assault Case

A man from Tucson has been sentenced to almost 18 years in prison in connection with aggravated s----- abuse charges. He was sentenced on May 5, after previously pleading guilty to aggravated s----- assault. The 37-year-old man, identified as Steven Daniel Buitimea, was also ordered to serve lifetime monitored release. Buitimea was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, the victim suffered serious physical injury after being s------- assaulted by Buitimea, who used force. Authorities have not released the victim's identity to ensure safety and privacy.

This incident occurred on May 28, 2022, on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona. Buitimea reportedly was an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized Native American nation based in Southern Arizona, primarily located near Tucson and Phoenix. The Yaqui people originally inhabited the Yaqui River Valley in Sonora, Mexico, and migrated to Arizona during the Mexican Revolution to escape the violence.

In another similar incident, a 72-year-old man from Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 57 years in prison for the charges related to s----- assault. The man was convicted and sentenced for decades after he s------- assaulted a 13-year-old on a Sun Tran bus ride. The man has been identified as David Samaniego Sr.

Samaniego was sentenced to 17 years for kidnapping with the intent of committing a felony, 20 years for using a minor in a drug offense, and 20 years for s----- misconduct with a minor under the age of 15 as an accomplice. Samaniego will serve the sentences consecutively.

According to court documents, the jury could not decide on the verdict for child molestation, aggravated assault, s----- abuse of a minor, and s----- misconduct of a minor. Tucson police said the investigation in 2024 led officers to identify Samaniego and his son after the victim reported she was taken to a midtown home and assaulted by multiple men.