Joel James Gonzales, a Ventura man, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lewd acts on a dependent adult, as reported by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. This plea comes after a previous mistrial on this charge during Gonzales' trial earlier this year. In related proceedings on July 22, 2024, Gonzales was convicted on multiple felony charges, including attempted murder of a six-year-old girl and assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary.
After the jury found Gonzales guilty, they also ascertained that several special allegations applied to his crimes, concluding that he inflicted great bodily injury, acted with great violence, preyed on vulnerable victims, and abused a position of trust. This information was gleaned from court documents provided by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Despite the previous deadlock on whether the attempted murder was premeditated, today's plea agreement sidesteps the need for further deliberation on that matter. Gonzales has also withdrawn his previous plea of not guilty due to insanity.
The convictions outline a violent spree perpetrated by Gonzales, which occurred over a short period in 2020. According to a press release from the District Attorney's office, on October 15, 2020, while working as a caretaker at the Royal Gardens elder care facility, Gonzales assaulted two residents. In one instance, he locked a 90-year-old woman with dementia in a storage closet where he committed lewd acts upon her. The following day, he forcibly entered a Camarillo home through a doggy door and, after being released by authorities and returning to a family home, horrifically assaulted a six-year-old girl during her sleepover, causing her severe brain trauma.
“The defendant’s plea and convictions today enable each of the victims to receive the justice and closure they deserve,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Tom Steele, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, said in a statement obtained by the district attorney's communications team. Gonzales is scheduled for sentencing on September 25, 2024, and is expected to receive 16 years and 8 months in state prison.
