Woman sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and torture of Fresno County teenager

Gabe Ferris Image
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Woman sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and torture of Fresno County teenager
A woman convicted of the kidnapping and torture of a Fresno County teenager has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A woman convicted of the kidnapping and torture of a Fresno County teenager has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Fresno County woman, who was kidnapped as a young girl more than eight years ago, got the last word in court on Monday.

"At the age of 13, I was kidnapped, tortured, beaten, and sexually assaulted by people I thought I could trust," the victim said.

Recounting the crime, she addressed Sandra Garcia, the mastermind of the plot.

"As the saying goes, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Thank you," said the victim.

That crime happened back in February of 2016 when the girl was just 13.

Action News is not showing or naming the victim because she was a minor.

As she walked home from school, the girl testified that men wearing all black approached her.

They shoved her in a trunk and drove her to a remote part of Fresno County, where prosecutors say the men assaulted her and left her tied to a tree.

"Your honor, I plead with you to give these inhumane people the maximum sentence so that they can never do this again to me or anyone else," the victim told the judge.

That passionate plea came on Monday as Sandra Garcia learned her sentence. Last fall, a jury convicted Garcia of all the charges against her, including kidnapping, torture, and sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Garcia was upset after her then-boyfriend evicted her from his home.

That's when they say Garcia recruited her two sons and a cousin and developed a plot to kidnap her boyfriend's daughter.

Mark Anthony Roque, his brother Brandon, and Miguel Carriedo have all pleaded or been found guilty for their involvement in the crime.

Mark Anthony and Carriedo are still waiting for a judge to sentence them, but on Monday, Garcia learned hers: life without the possibility of parole.

"And this act has to have been one of the most desperate, diabolical, sadistic, evil, and repugnant acts I've ever seen," the judge explained.

The judge ended Monday's sentencing with two words for Sandra Garcia: "Goodbye, ma'am."

The 48-year-old Garcia will soon go to Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, where she will spend the rest of her life.

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