Woman sentenced for ‘truly an evil plot’ to kidnap, sexually assault Clovis girl, 13
A Fresno judge described a Madera woman’s crimes against a 13-year-old girl as “evil” and “repugnant” on Monday as he sentenced her to life in prison without parole.
Sandra Garcia, 48, was sentenced by Fresno County Superior Court Judge Alvin M. Harrell III for sexual penetration of a minor by force, torture and dissuading a witness by force for the Feb. 16, 2016, assault of a 13-year-old Clovis girl, the daughter of Garcia’s estranged boyfriend.
The sexual assault carried the life without parole sentence and Garcia was required to serve that concurrently with seven years to life for torture, the judge said. Dissuading a witness carried a three-year term, which would be served consecutively.
Prosecutors said Garcia enlisted her cousin Miguel Carriedo and two of her sons, Mark Anthony Roque and Brandon Roque, to carry out the plan to kidnap and torture the girl.
The plan was to scare the teen into leaving the country to live with her mother in Sweden so that Garcia could have a relationship with the father, a Swedish born business executive who was starting to have second thoughts about their relationship, prosecutors say.
The extreme case drew national and international attention during its eight weeks in a Fresno County courtroom. It took the jury three days to reach its verdict.
Before the sentencing, a doctor testified Garcia suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, schizotypal personality disorder and other mental wellness diagnoses.
Harrell said he found the testimony of the doctor unconvincing set against the evidence heard at trial.
“What I heard was someone who wanted to live the lifestyle she had become accustomed to,” the judge said.
Garcia did not appear to react to the judge’s sentence. She stared ahead while seated, wearing a gray jail jumpsuit and a surgical mask. She only spoke to decline her chance to address the court.
The 13-year-old victim — who is now eight years older — spoke in court, pausing for a moment as she held back tears. She said she does not think about her captors.
“They simply don’t deserve to have my time wasted on them,” she said.
The father, Johan Gidstedt, said he was glad the family could put the incident behind them after eight years.
“I’m older. I’m grayer. I’m a little heavier, but I’m happy,” he said. “She (Garcia) does not deserve our attention.”
Prosecutor Adam Christopherson said he was impressed by the resiliency of the 13-year-old victim involved in a particularly troubling crime.
“The only way I can describe it is that it shocks the conscience. This is truly an evil plot and she did it for no reason,” he said. “The only thing the girl wanted to do was have a relationship with her father.”
The kidnapping
Garcia had lived with her mother in Madera before taking her two younger sons and moving into the boyfriend’s 4,400-square-foot home in Clovis.
On the day of the crime, the 13-year-old girl was taken by force as she arrived at her home before she was blindfolded and gagged. She was thrown in the back or Carriedo’s car and taken up to the foothills where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.
The kidnappers left the girl tied to a tree, but she escaped and called for help.
The cousin Carriedo secretly recorded phone calls with Garcia in which she planned the kidnapping and assault, prosecutors said. The calls were played for the jury who heard Garcia say she wanted the 13-year-old’s clothes ripped off of her.
Carriedo agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for pleading guilty to conspiring to commit a crime and torture. He faces a maximum of 15-years-to-life in prison at a hearing set for Friday.
Mark Anthony Roque could also be sentenced to life without parole. His sentencing is May 31.
Brandon Roque was sentenced to seven years to life after pleading no contest to conspiracy to commit a crime. He is serving in Wasco State Prison, according to records.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 12:05 PM.
