WOODLAND — Citing the defendant’s community ties and lack of criminal history, a Yolo Superior Court judge Wednesday reduced local restaurateur Ashot Manukyan’s bail by more than half to $100,000.

The 58-year-old owner of Cafe Mediterranee was no longer in Yolo County Jail custody as of this morning. He has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at his D Street business.

“The court is satisfied, given the types of connections Mr. Manukyan has with the Davis community … that he does have significant ties that would probably argue against flight,” Judge Paul Richardson said.

Richardson declined a request by defense attorney James Granucci to release Manukyan on his own recognizance while his case is pending, out of concern for public safety.

“The court has to presume, for purposes of setting bail, that the allegations have merit,” Richardson said.

Both Granucci and prosecuting attorney Carolyn Palumbo declined to comment on the case following Wednesday’s half-hour hearing.

As they left the courtroom, Manukyan’s family and several supporters gathered in a circle to pray. They also declined to comment.

Manukyan is accused of sexually assaulting the 22-year-old alleged victim in an office at the restaurant on Jan. 31. The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest on May 9.

He faces felony charges of penetration with a foreign object, assault with intent to commit penetration with a foreign object and false imprisonment, and misdemeanor sexual battery.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday.

Manukyan “intends on fighting these charges and proving his innocence,” Granucci said during Wednesday’s bail hearing. He noted that the longtime Davis resident and businessman cooperated with local police during the investigation.

“He never tried to flee; he never tried to leave,” Granucci said. “Quite frankly, the family thought that nothing was going to come of this thing.”

Palumbo agreed that while Maukyan doesn’t pose a flight risk, “the protection of the public is the first concern, as is the seriousness of the offenses.”

Both the assault and penetration charges are strike offenses under California’s “three strikes” law, Palumbo said. Manukyan’s original bail of $250,000 was a combination, or “stacking,” of the bail amounts for those two counts.

Palumbo asked for bail of $150,000 — the bail schedule for the penetration charge — while Granucci countered with a request for $50,000 bail. Ultimately, Richardson settled in the middle.

He also granted a protective order requiring Manukyan to refrain from any contact with the alleged victim and her husband for the duration of the case.

— Reach Lauren Keene at [email protected] or (530) 747-8048. Follow her at www.twitter.com/laurenkeene.

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