SAN JOSE, Calif. (TCN) — A man who sexually abused several children under 13 will spend the rest of his life behind bars in connection with a kidnapping that occurred more than 30 years ago.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced March 25 that a judge sentenced 68-year-old Thomas Loguidice to life after a jury found him guilty of kidnapping.
According to prosecutors, on the morning of Jan. 13, 1994, a 21-year-old woman began her shift at the President Tuxedo store in Oakridge Mall. As she was opening the store, Loguidice reportedly entered the showroom area and held the victim at knifepoint, forcing her into the back storage room.
The district attorney’s office said the defendant then placed the woman on the floor, bound her wrists, and tied her to a pipe before stealing cash from the register. Loguidice allegedly went back to the storage area and sexually assaulted the victim and fled on foot.
Despite an investigation and multiple leads, the case went cold for decades. In 2022, investigators learned that DNA collected from the 1994 crime scene matched Loguidice, who was convicted in 2012 of continuous sexual abuse of four children under 13 in San Benito County. He was already in the California Department of Corrections serving a 40-year sentence for the crimes.
According to prosecutors, Loguidice was not indicted for the 1994 sexual assault “because the statute of limitations for that crime expired in 2000.”
Prosecutors said the woman made a “powerful victim impact statement.”
District Attorney Jeff Rosen commented on the courage of survivors, stating, “They can’t forget what was done to them and neither should we. I am grateful for the terrific work of our Crime Lab, investigators, and prosecutors to bring this perpetrator to justice.”
- Convicted sex offender sentenced for 1994 cold case kidnapping – Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office
- Convicted sex offender found guilty in 1994 cold case kidnapping, 12/19/2023 – Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office
Source: True Crime Daily