Joel James Gonzales of Ventura sentenced to 16 years eight months for lewd acts on a dependent adult and the attempted murder of a six-year-old
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced Wednesday that Joel James Gonzales was sentenced to 16 years eight months after he was convicted of the attempted murder of a six-year-old, felony lewd acts on a dependent adult, felony assault with the intent to commit rape during a burglary, and misdemeanor aggravated trespassing.
The following special allegations and aggravating factors were found to be true regarding Gonzales' above criminal charges:
- PC 12022.7(a)- Great Bodily Injury in Commission of a Felony
- CRC 4.421(a)(1)- Crime Involved Great Violence
- CRC 4.421(a)(3)- Victim was Vulnerable
- CRC 4.421(a)(11)- Defendant Took Advantage of a Position of Trust
On Oct. 15, 2020, Gonzales was working as a caretaker at the Royal Gardens elder care facility in Camarillo which was separated into two area: an assisted living area and an area dedicated to those needing memory care explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in a press release about the sentencing.
Gonzales worked almost exclusively with patients suffering with dementia or Alzheimer's and during his evening shift, he assaulted two people at the facility stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Gonzales cornered the first survivor in her room on the assisted living side of the facility where he attacked her several times and eventually pushed her onto her bed where he attempted to remove her clothes.
The woman fought back and Gonzales eventually left the room detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Gonzales then returned to the memory care side of the facility where he walked a 90-year-old dementia patient into a storage closet and locked the door explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Inside of the locked storage closet, Gonzales performed lewd acts on the woman before staff members began knocking on the door stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On Oct. 16, 2020, Gonzales crawled through the dog door of a Camarillo home where he surprised the homeowner who told him to leave but Gonzales refused detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Gonzales remained at the home until a Ventura County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived at the scene and arrested and transported him to jail stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Gonzales was later released from custody and picked up by family who allowed him to spend the night at their home in Camarillo.
That same night, a six-year-old girl was having her first sleepover with the family's daughter shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Around 5 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2020, a teenager in the home was awakened by loud banging noises from another room and went inside the room where the girls were sleeping to investigate explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, the teen entered the room and saw Gonzales beating and choking the six-year-old while she was in her sleeping bag.
The teen knocked Gonzales off of the child and the parents at the home held him down until deputies arrived detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Arriving deputies discovered the young girl was in and out of consciousness with her face bloodied and swollen and she was taken to a local hospital for further treatment explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The six-year-old survived her injuries, but suffered brain trauma shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
