12-Year-Old Girl’s Kidnaper Gets 106-Year Prison Term

A drifter who kidnaped a 12-year-old Lodi girl last summer and set off a massive, successful police search was sentenced Monday to 106 years in prison.

Steven Reese Cochran, 25, was sentenced by San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Stephen Demetras on 24 felony counts.

Cochran pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the kidnaping of Katie Romanek, but Demetras found the defendant sane based on an examination by three psychiatrists.

The defense argued for a lesser sentence because of Cochran’s alcoholism and history of being shuttled among foster homes as a child.

Cochran was convicted of kidnaping Katie from her home after tying up the girl’s sister and a friend. Police tracked them to a field, and Katie was released.