By Jordan Ingram
The road to justice for two women, united by a shared nightmare of domestic abuse at the hands of a former mixed martial arts fighter and Oceanside gym owner, came to an end last month in a Vista courtroom.
In a plea deal, Sean Richard Loeffler, 41, of Oceanside, was sentenced to two years in prison on April 30 after pleading guilty to two felony counts of making criminal threats and one felony count of corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.
Meagan Andrew, a 36-year-old physical therapist from Oceanside, and Liz Campbell, a Los Angeles-based yoga teacher, both previously engaged to Loeffler in relatively brief relationships just a few months apart, said they were relieved at the outcome.
“We are very hesitant but know it’s important. This cannot happen again. We don’t want there to be more victims,” Andrew said. “We’ve been quiet for six months. It’s delayed our healing process. Now that the sentencing is over, we can tell our story. We can let the community know what happened and how we have a dangerous man in our community.”
During the sentencing hearing, both women read victim impact statements as Loeffler, former owner of The Compound gym in Oceanside, stood handcuffed behind a glass partition, largely obscured from the gallery by his attorneys.
Meagan Andrew, left, with her mother Colleen Cody, center, and Liz Campbell on April 30 at the Vista Courthouse, shortly after Sean Loeffler, was sentenced to two years in state prison for felony criminal threats and domestic violence. Staff photo/The Coast News
Meagan Andrew, left, with her mother Colleen Cody, center, and Liz Campbell on April 30 at the Vista Courthouse, shortly after Sean Loeffler was sentenced to two years in prison for felony criminal threats and domestic violence. Staff photo
“This nightmare of a chapter taught me so much, including how easy it can be for someone to get involved in an abusive relationship, especially with someone who is so well-practiced at the art of manipulation,” Campbell said in court. “When I found out he’d already abused another woman to whom he was also engaged just a few months after me, it was apparent that something needed to be done to stop this mad cycle of abuse.”
In November 2023, Loeffler, nicknamed “The Destroyer,” originally pleaded not guilty to 11 felony counts involving four women going back six years, including six counts of domestic battery as a repeat offender, assault, forcible rape, making criminal threats and dissuading a witness from testifying.
The plea deal dropped eight charges, including all of those related to accusers Claire Duggy and Jane Doe, both previous girlfriends of Loeffler as well.
At the time of his arrest in November 2023, Loeffler was on probation for a felony domestic violence conviction in Orange County four years earlier, prosecutors said. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office confirmed with The Coast News that Loeffler pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury.
By accepting the deal last month in San Diego, Loeffler admitted to having a second felony domestic violence conviction within the last seven years, prosecutors said. After receiving 400 days of in-custody credit, Loeffler will likely be released from the George Bailey Detention Center before the end of the year.
Andrew and Campbell hope their accounts serve as a call to action, urging communities to recognize and address the prevalence of domestic violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors on their journey toward healing and justice.
“No one is immune to this narcissistic behavior,” Andrew said in court. “We’re smart, independent, charismatic and empathetic women, and we were still victimized by him. Speaking out is about transparency and letting the community know this person will be out of prison soon. He’s dangerous, and they need to be aware of it. He’s a serial predator. And let’s just call his actions what they are: assault, attempted murder, rape, and kidnapping.”
Court records show Loeffler’s history of domestic-related incidents has resulted in 10 restraining orders from former partners over the past two decades in San Diego County.
Since 2002, the once-promising UFC hopeful has had several criminal cases in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, many of which were either dismissed or pled down to a lower offense and later expunged.
Amanda Beebower, a previous Loeffler girlfriend who alleged several incidents of domestic abuse during their relationship but never pressed charges, said she has grown extremely close to Andrew and Campbell in the days leading up to the MMA fighter’s sentencing.
“It’s incredible,” Beebower said. “The three of us have never met in person, but we are telling each other we love each other. We are letting this bring us all together. I have never met two women who are as strong as they are. We have been through it, and if it wasn’t for Liz and Meagan, we wouldn’t be here. I am grateful for both of them.”
The Coast News attempted several times to contact Loeffler for comment but could not obtain an interview before publication due to his incarceration. Herbert and Tanya Weston, Vista-based attorneys representing Loeffler, did not respond to a request for comment. A representative of The Compound declined to comment for this article.
However, Loeffler published a statement on YouTube, apparently recorded from a jailhouse phone, shortly after sentencing in response to media reports about the case.
“I made a mistake, and I’m suffering the consequences of that mistake. I’ve recently taken a plea deal for criminal threats,” Loeffler said. “Despite the spread of misinformation regarding the types of charges, I was charged with criminal threats. I let Ambien and alcohol dictate my reaction to finding out that my ex-fiancée was cheating on me.
“There is no excuse for saying terrible things. The second I knew it was reported, I turned myself in. I was never arrested and willingly took a plea deal as soon as I could. I do hope the defeating (sic) and falsification comments by my ex stop, but I cannot control another’s words, just as I could not control my own. If I could control others, I would have prevented myself from being cheated on and then no verbal response at all. I apologize for my reactions, and I’m paying the price.
“I will be incarcerated for a few months and then continue my mission of helping as many people as I possibly can… To the people who continue to slander and lie on my name, shame on you. Criminal threats are illegal, and I wish infidelity were, too… I’m guilty of criminal threats and any accusations past that are mistruths and uncalled for. But such is life.”
While not responding directly to Loeffler’s post-sentencing remarks, Deputy District Attorney Chris Campbell, who handled the prosecution, reiterated the terms of Loeffler’s plea deal, which included one count of felony domestic violence.
“We took a lot of time to go through the entire change of plea hearing with him, as we do with every defendant, to make sure he knew everything,” Chris Campbell said. “After signing the form, the judge reads the charges, and he must say, ‘Yes, I’m pleading guilty,’ which he did in open court. Throughout the process, there are a lot of questions, and he has every opportunity to not go forward with the plea.”
The prosecutor also noted that criminal threats are serious felonies in California. In Loeffler’s case, each charge qualified as a strike offense under the state’s Three Strikes and You’re Out law (AB 971).
If Loeffler commits another serious or violent felony upon release, he faces 25 years to life in prison. A subsequent felony is automatic prison, and the term is doubled. All four victims in the original charges received a 10-year protective order against Loeffler.
Meagan’s Story
Meagan Andrew said she met Sean Loeffler while looking for a new Pilates studio next to The Compound. She remembers being enamored with Loeffler’s charismatic personality and drawn to him because of their shared interests and upbringing as Southern California kids.
Six weeks later, Loeffler proposed to Andrew during a trip to Catalina Island.
However, Andrew said the engagement marked the beginning of a series of abusive incidents, including verbal assaults, threats and physical violence. Over the next three months, Andrew recounted being strangled, threatened with death and physically assaulted.
During this time, Loeffler admitted in his YouTube statement that he was drinking more regularly and taking prescription sedatives, like Ambien, both of which made his behavior more volatile and unpredictable.
Meagan Andrew and Sean Loeffler were engaged shortly after they started dating in 2023.
Despite the escalating instability in their relationship, Andrew said she struggled to leave due to Loeffler’s manipulation and control tactics, such as demonstrating “intense” abandonment issues and frequently isolating her from her friends and family.
According to a police report, on Oct. 3, 2023, Andrew recorded a verbal argument that descended into physical violence. On the recording, Loeffler is heard cursing and threatening Andrew before audibly striking her several times.
Ten days later, at 11 p.m. on Oct. 13, Loeffler attacked her again when he learned she was deleting photos of the couple from her social media accounts, according to a police report.
The report states Loeffler demanded Andrew leave the home immediately. But when Andrew went to leave, Loeffler grabbed her hair, pulled from behind and threatened to kill her.
The report states Loeffler struck her several times and pushed her onto his bed, holding his knee on her chest and placing both hands around her neck before strangling her for approximately five seconds. After releasing his grip, Loeffler placed his hand over her nose and mouth, preventing her from breathing.
“I couldn’t escape it. He trains people to fight for a living. There is nothing I can do to get out of that scenario. I just had to ride it out,” Andrew said.
On Oct. 14, Andrew went to the hospital, and medical staff reported her injuries to Oceanside police. She was later taken to One Safe Place in San Marcos for a forensic examination.
“Based on statements provided by Andrew, her physical injuries and Loeffler’s actions, I believe Loeffler attempted to murder Andrew,” the officer wrote in his report.
Andrew provided law enforcement with emails, text messages, audio recordings and a cellphone video in which Loeffler asked her to drop her restraining order and charges against him. But Andrew pressed forward.
Loeffler was arrested on Nov. 20, 2023, during a visit with his probation officer from a previous felony domestic violence conviction in Orange County. During his arraignment three days later, Loeffler was denied bail due to violating probation.
“I often ask myself, ‘How did you let this happen so many times? And that’s part of the self-shaming,” Andrew said. “Why didn’t you leave the first time? I have no answer. But here we are, and he’s in jail now. Sometimes, when you get really close, you don’t see the red flags. Maybe it had to happen this way.”
Liz Campbell’s Story
In 2012, Sean Loeffler, a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, signed a four-fight contract with UFC, but an injury just minutes before his televised debut against Buddy Roberts kept him out of the cage.
By 2014, Loeffler had opened The Compound in Oceanside and was preparing to return to competitive fighting with a scheduled bout against Travis McCullough.
Around this time, yoga instructor Liz Campbell and Loeffler had become friends. Campbell had recently started giving the Oceanside fighter private lessons, and the two kept in touch with occasional messages on social media.
In November 2022, after nearly a decade, the two reconnected and started dating. Less than a week later, Loeffler celebrated her birthday by filling a couch with balloons and gifts.
“It was pretty intense for how soon we had started dating,” Campbell said. “But at that time, everything was good. He was writing letters and leaving them for me on the counter. It was very romantic.”
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, Loeffler proposed to her in front of a crowd of their friends. While things had been going well in the relationship, Campbell recalled feeling nervous about the prospect of marriage. She noticed Loeffler had started drinking more regularly, often “partying” alone for days.
Liz Campbell, right, embraces Meagan Andrew shortly after Sean Loeffler pleaded guilty to three felony domestic violence-related charges on April 30 in Vista. Staff photo
Liz Campbell, right, embraces Meagan Andrew shortly after Sean Loeffler pleaded guilty to three felony domestic violence-related charges on April 30 in Vista. Staff photo
Soon, Loeffler’s charm faded, revealing a more volatile nature. According to Campbell, she was often subjected to verbal degradation and recalled terrifying incidents, such as being trapped in a hotel room and fearing for her life during Loeffler’s violent outbursts.
In an argument just two days after proposing marriage, Campbell said Loeffler started choking her, throwing her into walls and kicking her in the head.
“I’m realizing this man is dangerous,” Campbell said. “I can’t do this. I’ve never been in an abusive relationship in my life.”
Campbell packed her Jeep and left town while her husband-to-be was at work, eventually heading to Phoenix to stay with a friend. But despite the circumstances, the estranged couple remained in touch. For the next month, Loeffler wrote her letters, talking about starting therapy and getting help — everything she wanted to hear.
“I ate it up,” Campbell said. “I went back to him. I felt like leaving so many times, but I ignored my intuition. I couldn’t tell my family and friends. I felt ashamed and embarrassed but didn’t want to admit my own disappointment.”
She eventually moved back in with Loeffler after he promised to never put his hands on her again. And she believed him.
Over the next several months, however, mounting tensions due to Loeffler’s substance abuse strained the couple’s relationship. During arguments, Loeffler threatened to kill her and her family, sometimes in graphic detail, according to Campbell.
During an argument in the early morning hours of May 30, 2023, Loeffler reportedly exploded and started throwing her around the living room, using his strength to pin her on the couch, according to a police report. Loeffler slapped her in the face, placed his hands over her mouth and nose and used both hands to strangle her by squeezing her throat
“I started seeing stars, and then he would let go,” Campbell said. “He knew exactly how long to strangle someone.”
As documented in police reports, Loeffler then punched her full force in the ribs, knocking the wind out of her and sending her to the floor, struggling to breathe. That’s when, according to Campbell, Loeffler threatened to kill her.
She managed to escape and decided to go to the police. At the station, Campbell saw the nature of her injuries as police officers photographed dark-colored bruises on her hips, legs, throat, breasts, feet and arms. Oceanside police arrested Loeffler the same day at The Compound gym before he was released from custody on bond.
Loeffler later pleaded guilty to felony domestic violence for the attack on Campbell as part of the two-year plea deal.
“It’s amazing he’s been getting away with this for over 20 years,” Campbell said. “I feel very fortunate and privileged to tell my story because not many women have been able to do that. I’m just very grateful I can contribute to putting away this monster.”
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