A 17-year-old Santa Ana girl and her 19- and 20-year-old male accomplices are facing multiple charges after attempting to kidnap the 15-day-old baby of her roommate. According to The O.C. Register, the girl took her two accomplices to her house and led them into the victim’s room where they ransacked the house, stole a video game, ordered the victim into a bathroom at gunpoint, and took the baby. However, when the girl (the alleged mastermind of the crime) attempted to leave, the mother escaped the bathroom and managed to grab back her baby after the accomplices had left the scene. The three were soon arrested.
According to what Santa Ana Police told ABC World News, the 17-year-old girl had been lying to her fiancé telling him she was eight months pregnant, and attempted to steal the baby as part of the lie. The accomplices are reported to be involved in a gang and agreed to the crime after being paid and told they could steal some items from the house.
The 17-year-old girl is now charged with attempted kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime, and first degree robbery, with sentencing enhanced for criminal street gang activity. The two other suspects are facing felony conspiracy, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, and street terrorism with sentencing enhancements, as well. Altogether, if the suspects are found guilty of all charges, they could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Kidnapping is a heavily prosecuted crime in California, and kidnapping of those under the age of 14 can result in even heavier punishments. If you or someone you know has been charged with kidnapping in Orange County, the Santa Ana kidnapping defense attorney Jeremy N. Goldman can fight for your legal rights. For more information, call (800) 349-1619 for a complimentary consultation on your case.
The father and paternal grandparents who have been accused of taking the man’s children from their mother in Anaheim, CA and taking them to Texas in October of 2010 have pleaded guilty to two counts of deprivation of custody of a child, according to CNN.com. They have also been commanded to repay the authorities for some of the expenses spent during the search for the boys.
The incident occurred when the two boys were in an alley with their mother when a van pulled up and their father and grandfather jumped out and took the boys, ages two and four-years-old. The children were then taken to a relative’s house in Monrovia where they hid before moving to Texas. Police searched for the missing children for weeks before the father turned himself in. The grandmother later took the children to a court facility, where she was taken into custody. The grandfather of the two boys was arrested at a later date.
In addition to the three arrests of the immediate family members, the two relatives who allegedly helped the kidnappers hide were charged with kidnapping and deprivation of custody. According to the article, kidnapping charges against the father and the paternal grandparents have been dismissed. There is no word in the article regarding the charges against the other two relatives.
The father of the boys and the paternal grandfather were sentenced to 270 days in jail as well as three years of probation. The paternal grandmother was sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation.
If you have been accused of kidnapping in California, you need to consult an experienced attorney who can explain your legal rights and options to you. At The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman, our skilled Orange County kidnapping defense lawyers will aggressively fight to uphold your rights in a court of law. Depending on the circumstances of your case, it is possible that our attorneys could get your charges lessened or the case thrown out completely. To learn more about how The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman can help, please call 1-800-349-1619.
