Trio accused of holding teens captive, abusing them pleads guilty in Las Vegas case

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A grandmother, aunt and her partner accused of holding two teens captive and abusing them have entered into a plea agreement.

The aunt, Addy Gonzales, who faced the most severe allegations, pleaded guilty to four counts of felony child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, according to court records obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators.

The trio kept Gonzales’s adopted niece and nephew locked up in their North Las Vegas home for extended periods of time, according to Clark County prosecutors.

Neighbors called the police after the teen girl was seen trying to escape from the second-floor window to get water in November of 2022. Video showed the girl on a ladder.

The teen and her brother testified in front of the grand jury that they were kept locked in the garage or bedroom without food or water and suffered physical abuse at the hands of Gonzales.

A grand jury previously indicted Gonzales on 27 charges, including 24 felony counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment, and three gross misdemeanor counts. As a result of a plea agreement dated Aug. 26, the remaining counts will be dropped.

The plea agreement details the potential sentence of one to six years in the Nevada Department of Corrections for each count.

Daniel Omezcua, Gonzales’s partner, pleaded guilty to one felony count of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. A grand jury previously indicted Omezcua on 16 counts.

Maria Pasarin, the grandmother, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. A grand jury previously indicted Pasarin on 17 counts.

The teen girl said that she was held captive for three to four months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Police found her in a room with deadbolts on both sides with buckets for bathroom use.

Gonzales forced the teens to enlist in the military, according to the Clark County District Attorney’s office. Both are no longer enlisted.

Photos from inside the home revealed that Gonzales’s son, now a teen, was treated differently from the two alleged victims. The son also testified in front of the grand jury that the alleged victims were also treated well. Prosecutors argued that his testimony was influenced by the defendants.

All three defendants initially pleaded not guilty.

Gonzales had been a family learning advocate at the Clark County School District since 2005. She was suspended and placed on unpaid leave, according to a district spokesperson. The teen girl testified that her aunt most recently worked at Ruby Thomas Elementary School.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.

If you suspect child abuse or neglect, you are urged to report it.  More information can be found here.

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