California Man Sentenced After Bizarre, Violent Crime Spree with Victims Aged 6 to 90

A man has been sentenced to 16 years and eight months for a series of alleged attacks that occurred back-to-back and involved victims ranging in age from six to 90. Joel James Gonzales, 28, of Ventura County, California, pled guilty in August to felony lewd acts on a dependent adult after a mistrial where a jury deadlocked on that charge, per Law & Crime. Gonzales' original plea was not guilty by reason of insanity, but he ultimately changed his plea and waived his right to a mental competency hearing, per KTLA. He had already been convicted on July 22 of attempted murder, felony assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary, and misdemeanor aggravated trespassing, per the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. The DA's office also noted four special allegations and aggravating factors associated with the criminal charges: great bodily injury in commission of felony, the crime involved great violence, victim was vulnerable, and the defendant took advantage of a position of trust. According to the DA's office, as reported by Santa Barbara ABC affiliate KEYT, Gonzales was working as a caregiver at a care facility in Camarillo. There he worked with patients suffering with dementia or Alzheimers. On October 15, 2020, per prosecutors, the suspect allegedly cornered his first victim and attacked her multiple times after she'd been pushed down on the bed, trying to remove her clothes, according to Law & Crime. When this victim fought back, the outlet reports, he ultimately stopped and moved on. His next victim that day was a 90-year-old dementia patient, who Gonzales allegedly trapped in a closet and began performing lewd acts on, per the DA's office, until "staff started knocking on the door." The following day, on October 16, the DA reports that Gonzales crawled through the doggy door of a private residence, surprising the family inside. He reportedly walked around the house, refusing to leave, until police were called and he was taken into custody, according to filing documents. He was released to family members and allowed to stay the night at their home, per the legal report. That night, though, there was a sleepover happening at the house, according to the DA's office, with the family's young daughter having invited a friend over. At around 5 a.m. on October 17, that following morning, the family was awakened to loud banging noises from the daughter's room, where the two girls had been sleeping, per the prosecutor. "A teenager in the home was the first to investigate and saw Gonzales violently beating and choking the six-year-old victim in her sleeping bag," the DA's office wrote in its report. "The teenager rushed at Gonzales, knocking him off the victim." The parents in the home called 911 and held Gonzales down until police arrived. They found the victim coming in and out of consciousness, per the report, with a bloodied and swollen face. Police reported that while the victim survived, she suffered brain trauma as a result of the assault. "The defendant’s plea and convictions today enable each of the victims to receive the justice and closure they deserve," said Tom Steele, senior deputy district attorney for Ventura County who is a member of the VCDA's Sexual Assault Unit.