A Stanislaus County jury has convicted a 41-year-old Modesto man of kidnapping a woman with intent to commit rape after she secretly texted 911 from inside his vehicle to escape. Gary Lee Chery now faces a potential life sentence following the three-week trial, and detectives say the case may not be over, with investigators searching for additional victims who may have crossed paths with him under different names.
Stanislaus County District Attorney Jeff Laugero announced the conviction, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney, saying Chery was found guilty of kidnapping with intent to commit rape or sexual assault and assault with intent to commit a sexual offense. Deputy District Attorney Patrick Hogan prosecuted the case for the DA's Special Victims Unit, a unit that pairs prosecutors with victim-witness advocates who partner with the Family Justice Center of Stanislaus County to support victims through trial. Hogan is a veteran Stanislaus County prosecutor who has previously handled complex felony cases involving narcotics, violent crimes, and gang conspiracies, according to a case referenced by Davis Vanguard.
According to the district attorney's account, Chery offered the victim a ride home from downtown Modesto before driving her to a secluded area against her will on March 22, 2026. Regional news program Sacramento News Today reported that the encounter began in downtown Modesto, an area with active commercial and nightlife corridors, before Chery drove her elsewhere. Once there, prosecutors say he sexually assaulted her inside his vehicle and refused multiple requests from her to be let out.
A Covert Text Message and a Family's Arrival
Rather than confronting Chery directly, the victim feigned illness in an effort to get out of the vehicle while secretly using her cell phone to text 911 and family members for help. That capability exists because Stanislaus Regional 911 and local law enforcement agencies use Text-to-911 service, which lets dispatchers receive messages from people trapped in violent or high-risk situations where speaking aloud could be dangerous, per the same agency's account. Law enforcement began investigating within moments of her escape, which happened when her family arrived at the scene; Chery fled immediately afterward.
Modesto Police Department detectives identified Chery as the assailant and arrested him. Per the district attorney's announcement, detectives have since uncovered evidence connecting Chery to separate, similar offenses involving other women, and believe he may have used numerous aliases. The department's investigation into those additional uncharged allegations remains active.
Statutory Penalties and What Happens Next
Under California Penal Code Section 209(b)(1), a kidnapping conviction carried out with intent to commit rape or specified sexual offenses carries a mandatory sentence of life in state prison with the possibility of parole, according to the Legal Information Institute. Separately, Penal Code Section 220 makes an assault committed with intent to commit a felony sexual offense punishable by up to six years in state prison, as explained by the Hedding Law Firm. Chery is scheduled to return to Stanislaus County Superior Court for sentencing on November 9, according to FOX40.
Should Chery eventually be released from prison, he would be required to register for life on California's sex offender registry under Penal Code Section 290, a mandatory consequence for violent felony sex crimes and aggravated kidnapping convictions that Hoodline has previously reported on. District Attorney Laugero, who took office in January 2023 after years as a gang, homicide, and narcotics prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney, oversees the office pursuing the case.
Detectives Seek Potential Additional Victims
Modesto Police Department detectives are asking anyone with information about Chery or his possible aliases to come forward. Investigators can be reached through Detective Ridenour at 209-495-9844 as the department continues to examine whether other women may have encountered him under a different identity. With the criminal case against Chery resolved by verdict but sentencing still weeks away, the broader scope of his alleged conduct remains an open question for investigators in Stanislaus County.
