April 3, 2026: Mother, Stepfather Sentenced to 22 Years to Life in Prison for Torture and Death of 16-Year-Old Daughter in Los Angeles
Pearlene V. died at the hands of her parents in August 2021 after they physically tortured her for sending inappropriate text messages to teen boys
LOS ANGELES – Oriana Elias, 38, and Vincent Gibbs, 39, both of Vallejo, were sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for the August 2021 torture and death of their 16-year-old daughter, Pearlene V.
“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.”
Elias and Gibbs were sentenced on April 2 in case 25AVCF00536 by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott Yang at the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse.
On March 17, Oriana Estela Elias (dob 12/23/87) was convicted by a jury 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. They also found true the allegation that Elias caused great bodily injury. On the same day, Vincent Gibbs (6/1/86) was convicted by a jury of one count of second-degree murder, one felony count of torture and one felony count of child abuse. The jury also found true the allegation that Gibbs caused great bodily injury and used a weapon in the commission of the crime.
On Aug. 15, 2021, Elias and Gibbs tortured their teenage daughter, resulting in her death, after they became upset with her for sending inappropriate text messages to teenage boys. They punished the victim by having her perform strenuous exercises in the hot sun and then beating her with a wooden plank and a belt for several hours. The abuse was witnessed by the victim’s sisters. At some point, the victim collapsed and died in a makeshift bathroom of a trailer that the family had been living in. The trailer did not have running water or electricity.
Prior to the paramedics arriving, Elias told the victim’s sisters to lie and not tell the police or paramedics what they had done to the victim.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Suzanna Friedman and Diane Hong of the Family Violence Division, Antelope Valley Branch, and was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Homicide Bureau