Man Convicted of Raping Woman Then Fleeing To Alaska Sentenced to 10 Years

A 25-year-old man who broke into a Desert Hot Springs home and raped a woman, then fled to Alaska, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in state prison. Gary Lane Franklin II remained on the lam for nearly two months after the Aug. 14, 2018, attack. He was arrested in Anchorage on Oct. 6 of that year. The defendant pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to one count each of rape by force or fear and assault with intent to commit rape. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop charges of burglary and dissuading a witness from testifying. According to prosecutors, Franklin admitted to the rape during a phone call between himself and the victim after being taken into custody. Franklin could have faced a potential life sentence if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.