July 30 – August 26, 2021
NYC Man Arrested in Kidnapping of Dementia Patient at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center
Johnny Ray Gasca charged with one count of kidnapping in connection to July 19 kidnapping By Sam Catanzaro
A New York man faces up to life in prison for his alleged abduction of a 68-year-old woman with dementia at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Johnny Ray Gasca, 51, of Bronx, New York, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed July 20 with one count of kidnapping, an offense that carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California (DOJ). The FBI arrested Gasca on Monday afternoon outside a Hollywood motel and also
rescued the victim at the same time. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, the victim was kidnapped at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Monday after attempting to obtain a medical appointment at the VA facility. The victim was accompanied by a long-time friend, and as the two of them “approached their car, Gasca appeared unexpectedly,” the affidavit states. “Gasca put his arms around [the victim] and pushed her toward a gold-colored pickup truck that was parked nearby. Gasca then picked [the victim] up and threw her into the rear portion of the truck’s passenger compartment.” After VA police contacted the FBI later in the morning, the victim’s friend told agents she recognized Gasca, believed he previously was in “some kind of relationship with the victim”, according to the DOJ. In addition, the friend suspected Gasca may have taken some of [the victim’s] money from her bank and retirement accounts, the affidavit states. The witness also reported that the victim previously noted she was missing some of her credit cards, and when the two went to the victim’s bank to review her accounts, bank
Photo: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (Facebook)
records showed a $35,000 withdrawal from the victim’s retirement account, followed by a number of Venmo, MoneyGram and PayPal transactions that the friend believed the victim did not have “the knowledge or wherewithal” to conduct, according to the affidavit.
“Within hours of beginning its investigation, the FBI located the victim’s phone at The Dixie Hollywood Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, where agents converged. Soon
VA BRentwood, see page 4
City Clerk Approves Petition for Recall of Councilmember Bonin Signature gathering phase now set to begin after approval by City Clerk By Sam Catanzaro The Los Angeles City Clerk has approved a petition for recall of Councilmember Mike Bonin. Bonin, who represents Los Angeles City Council District 11 encompassing much of the Westside, was served the recall notice on June 15. On July 12, the City Clerk approved the
petition for circulation. “Councilmember Mike Bonin has consistently made promises to his constituency and failed to follow through on these promises since he took office,” reads the recall’s Statement of Reasons. “In summary Councilmember Mike Bonin does not engage with the district and did not improve our quality of life or clean up our neighborhoods. Our streets have become de facto campgrounds, sanitation policies are failing, crime is rising, and Mike Bonin remains unresponsive.” Bonin was not immediately available for comment Tuesday on the approval for circulation of the petition for recall. In a statement released after being served
Bonin Brentwood, see page 2
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Photo: Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin (Facebook)
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