(DAILY CALLER) – 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.
