Final Defendant Sentenced In Riverside Elder Abuse Case

RIVERSIDE, CA — Sentencing was announced Monday for the last defendant in a Riverside investigation that uncovered disturbing elder abuse.

Ronnel Tiburcio, 59, was sentenced to seven years in state prison following his July 2023 conviction on six counts of elder abuse likely to produce great bodily harm and death — all felonies, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced.

Tiburcio worked at the unlicensed Secure Hands board and care facility where the victims were housed. According to prosecutors, when investigators first arrived at the location in the 2010s, they found the residents being housed in squalor. Many of the residents were emaciated and dehydrated and were not being provided the care they needed.

"The six victims, ranging in age 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," Bonta's office said.

Joel Ombao owned Secure Hands and several other hospice companies. On July 1, Ombao was sentenced to five years in state prison for his role in the abuse. The third defendant, Nimfa Molina, was sentenced in October 2023 to 122 days in county jail.

"Individuals entrusted with the care of elderly and dependent adults have the utmost responsibility for their well-being and safety," Bonta said. "At the California Department of Justice, we will not tolerate any elder abuse or neglect and ensure that any exploitation or harm is met with swift accountability."

Bonta's office worked with the Riverside Police Department to secure the convictions.