A woman accused of assisting in the kidnapping of her grandchildren was denied bond Friday, March 25.
Maria J. Lorenzo, 53, appeared by video conference for her Richmond County Superior Court bond hearing. She is charged with two counts of kidnapping a minor and one count each of kidnapping an adult, home invasion, and aggravated assault.
Lorenzo and her son, Jorge Gonzalez-Ortiz, 34, and his new girlfriend, Barbara Avila, 21, were arrested March 9. Richmond County Sheriff officers started looking for the three after finding a woman on Middleton Place with several head wounds. She told officers her ex-boyfriend, his mother and his new girlfriend had taken her children, ages 6 and 8, Assistant District Attorney Klaxon Wilson said Friday.
Lorenzo was the one who knocked on the woman’s door about 4 a.m. March 9. After the victim opened the door, Lorenzo pushed her way past her and went to the back door to open it for her son and Avila, the prosecutor said. The victim was threatened with death and pistol whipped to try to force her to sign papers giving Gonzalez-Ortiz custody of the two children, Wilson said.
When the victim refused to sign the papers, she told sheriff officers, Gonzalez-Ortiz went through her home breaking whatever he could before he, Lorenzo and Avila left with the children, Wilson said. They were found later unharmed at Lorenzo’s home, Wilson said.
Defense attorney Marco Corales told the judge that Lorenzo only went to the victim’s home to mediate between the parties. It was her idea to call 911 when she returned home.
Lorenzo has no criminal history but a single traffic ticket. She has lived in Augusta for 20 years. She was active in her grandchildren’s lives, often taking care of them for their mother, Corales said.
Judge Ashley Wright denied bond.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
