A man from New York was sentenced to 310 months in federal prison for kidnapping an elderly woman with dementia, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a press release Wednesday.
53-year-old Johnny Ray Gasca from the Bronx, New York, kidnapped a 68-year-old woman with dementia at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center in July 2021, per the press release. United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. handed down the sentence following Gasca’s conviction on charges including kidnapping, attempted obstruction of justice, and attempted witness tampering.
The court found that Gasca preyed upon the victim’s vulnerability and manipulated her so he could access her financial resources. Prosecutors detailed how Gasca described the victim, whom he claimed was his girlfriend, as “senile.” He exploited her condition to withdraw tens of thousands of dollars from her accounts, the news release stated. After the victim escaped Gasca’s influence and sought medical help for her dementia, Gasca abducted her from the hospital to continue his financial exploitation. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Suspected Of Kidnapping Six Minors Fleeing From Vehicle During Police Chase)
Man kidnaps woman with dementia from hospital and steals thousands from her, feds say https://t.co/nzyuz93dw0
— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) December 1, 2023
“After the victim managed to get away from [Gasca], he abducted her from the grounds of a hospital where she had sought care for her dementia, in order to steal even more of her money,” the prosecutor said, per the news release. “Immediately after the abduction, he attempted to indoctrinate her to parrot back a version of events favorable to him.”
Gasca forcibly took the victim from the VA facility’s parking lot and placed her in his vehicle. The FBI, alerted by the Department of Veteran Affairs Police Department, initiated an investigation that led to Gasca’s arrest at a hotel on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Court documents reveal that the victim’s friend had recognized Gasca and suspected his involvement in the unauthorized withdrawal of $35,000 from the victim’s retirement account, along with various suspicious transactions. After his arrest, Gasca attempted to manipulate the narrative. He instructed a friend to destroy evidence of his wrongdoings on a messaging app, including messages where he referred to the victim as “Golden goose,” the news release further added.