3 Filipinos convicted of elder abuse in California senior care home

California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta secured the felony elder abuse convictions | AP File Photo

A Filipino owner of several senior care homes and two of his employees were convicted of elder neglect and abuse of six severely disabled residents of an unlicensed facility in Riverside, California.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office secured the convictions, said the victims ranging in age from from 32 to 66, were found malnourished, living in filth and without basic care in a house that did not have the staff, equipment, or licensing needed to care for the residents.

Investigators arrived at the location to find the victims being housed in squalor. Many of them were emaciated and dehydrated and were not being provided the care they needed.

Defendants Joel Gallano Ombao, 70, owner of the unlicensed Secure Hands Board and Care where the victims were housed, Ronnel Tiburico, 58, Ombao’s assistant, and Nimfa Molina, 64, a registered nurse, were all found guilty of elder abuse.

The jury trial that began on June 6 and ended on Aug. 1 convicted Ombao of four counts of felony elder abuse, Tiburcio was convicted of six counts of felony elder abuse, and Molina was convicted of one misdemeanor count of elder abuse.

You may also like: Filipino care home owners charged with human trafficking, wage theft, violence

Tiburcio could face up to nine years in prison, Ombao up to seven years in prison, and Molina up to six months in county jail. Their sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 25.

“Caretakers of elderly and dependent adults have the responsibility of protecting their patients’ dignity, safety, and health,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Instead, the victims in this case suffered horrific neglect and lack of care at the hands of those who were trusted with their well-being.”

Bonta thanked his department’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, which prosecuted the case, and the Riverside Police Department, which participated in the joint investigation.