Man Charged After Allegedly Kidnapping, Holding Girl For 10 Years
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A Bell Gardens man who allegedly kidnapped his girlfriend's 15-year-old daughter and sexually assaulted her for a decade was charged Thursday, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Isidro Medrano Garcia, 42, was charged with one felony count of forcible rape, with three felony counts of lewd acts on a minor and one felony count of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense.
If Garcia is convicted on all counts, he will face a maximum sentence of 17 years to life in state prison.
Garcia's bail is set on $1 million bail. His arraignment has been postponed until Jun 9.
Authorities say the woman, who is reportedly from Mexico, was abused physically, sexually and mentally, and that she was relocated at least four times over the decade of her alleged captivity. She was also reportedly given fake identities in order to keep her hidden from both family and authorities.
"She was a fifteen year-old girl in a foreign country, didn't speak the language, and he's an adult that's more than ten years older than her," Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. "The suspect, to my understanding, liked to physically abuse (the victim's) mother, but he also, while the mother was at work, started to sexually assault our victim."
Police also suggest the woman, who is said to have used a fictitious name, attempted escape twice, but was beaten severely.
"She did, on two occasions, the detectives believe try to escape," Bertagna said. "She was caught and beaten for her efforts."
The victim's mother had filed a missing persons report hours after she is said to have disappeared.
"He gave her some pills for her headache, and then she woke up the next day in the city of Compton, in a garage," Bertagna said.
A release from the District Attorney says that in August of 2004, Garcia was involved in a mutual domestic violence incident with the victim's mother, according to reports made to the Santa Ana Police Department.
The case, however, was unable to be proven at the time.
Garcia is further accused of threatening the victim that, if she called the police, she would be prosecuted for using a false identity, which was allegedly given to her the day after she was said to be kidnapped.
In 2010, it is alleged that Garcia got the victim pregnant, and that she had a child, who is now reportedly in her custody.
The investigation is ongoing.
Garcia's attorney said the woman fabricated the whole story because the couple was breaking up.
Meanwhile, on Thursday LA County prosecutors said there was not enough evidence in the case to support a domestic violence charge.
Garcia still faces several other charges including the aforementioned forcible rape, lewd acts with a minor and kidnapping.
