Two California parents have been sentenced to 22 years to life in prison after their teenage daughter died following hours of punishment that prosecutors described as torture.
Oriana Elias, 38, and Vincent Gibbs, 39, both of Vallejo, were convicted in connection with the August 2021 death of 16-year-old Pearlene V. The couple was formally sentenced on April 2 by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott Yang at the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse.
The case drew strong condemnation from prosecutors, who said the punishment inflicted on the teenager resulted in a fatal and prolonged attack.
“This sentence reflects an unthinkable betrayal by parents who are meant to protect their children from harm,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Pearlene was denied the chance to grow up and become who she was meant to be. There is no punishment that can restore the loss of life. I am grateful to Deputy District Attorneys Suzanna Friedman and Diane Hong for their diligence, compassion and resolve to ensure that the victim received justice and the defendants were held fully accountable.”
Earlier in March, a jury found both defendants guilty of multiple charges linked to the teenager’s death. Elias was convicted of one count of second-degree murder, one felony count of torture, one felony count of child abuse and two felony counts of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. Jurors also determined she caused great bodily injury.
Gibbs was convicted of one count of second-degree murder, one felony count of torture and one felony count of child abuse. The jury also found that he caused great bodily injury and used a weapon during the crime.
According to prosecutors, the abuse began after the parents became angry with their daughter for sending inappropriate text messages to teenage boys.
They punished the teen by forcing her to perform strenuous exercises in the hot sun before repeatedly beating her with a wooden plank and a belt for several hours. Authorities said the abuse was witnessed by the girl’s sisters.
During the punishment, Pearlene eventually collapsed inside a makeshift bathroom in a trailer where the family had been living. The trailer reportedly had no running water or electricity.
Before paramedics arrived, Elias allegedly instructed the other children to lie about what had happened and not reveal the details to police or medical personnel.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Suzanna Friedman and Diane Hong of the Family Violence Division’s Antelope Valley Branch. The investigation was carried out by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau.
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