3 convicted of abusing 'severely disabled' residents at unlicensed Riverside care facility

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Three workers at an unlicensed care facility in Riverside have been found guilty of abusing residents, officials announced Tuesday.

Joel Ombao, Ronnel Tiburcio and Nimfa Molina were all found guilty of elder abuse, California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office announced Tuesday. The three were accused of abusing six "severely disabled" residents at the facility, ranging in age from 32 to 66. Tiburcio could face up to nine years in prison, Ombao up to seven, and Molina up to six months in county jail.

The victims were all residents of the Secure Hands board and care facility in Riverside. When the investigation into the abuse began, Bonta's office said, the six residents were found "malnourished, living in fifth and without the basic care in a house that did not have the staff, equipment or licensing needed to care for the residents."

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Ombao owns Secure Hands, as well as several other hospice communities, according to Bonta's office. Together with Tiburcio, his assistant, and Molina, a registered nurse at the facility, the residents were, "emaciated and dehydrated and were not being provided the care they needed," according to a press release.

"Caretakers of elderly and dependent adults have the responsibility of protecting their patients’ dignity, safety, and health," Bonta said. "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."

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Ombao was convicted of four counts of elder abuse, TIburcio was convicted of six counts of elder abuse and Molina was convicted of one misdemeanor count of elder abuse. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25.