A Southern California couple who tortured and killed their teenage daughter over text messages she sent to teenage boys has been sentenced to prison, according to the LA County District Attorney’s office.
Oriana Elias, 38, and Vincent Gibbs, 39, of Vallejo, were sentenced in August 2021 to 22 years in prison for the torture and murder of their 16-year-old daughter, Pearline Vallavala.
“This sentence represents an unimaginable betrayal by parents who want to protect their children from harm,” said the Los Angeles County District. Atty. Nathan J. Hochman. “Pearlin was not given the chance to grow up and become who she wanted to be. There is no punishment that can compensate for the loss of life.”
According to prosecutors, on August 15, 2021, Pearline collapsed and died in the makeshift bathroom of a trailer, which had no running water or electricity.
According to prosecutors, Elias and Gibbs harassed the teen after she was fed up with sending inappropriate text messages to teenage boys.
“They made the victim do hard work in the hot sun and then beat her with a wooden plank and belt for several hours.”
The Los Angeles County medical examiner said the cause of death resulted from the combined effects of physical exertion, environmental heat exposure, blunt trauma and COVID-19 infection.
The prosecutor said the abuse was also witnessed by Pearline’s sisters, whose parents told them to lie to police or paramedics about what they had done to the victim.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Elias guilty on March 17 of one count of second-degree murder, one felony count of torture, one felony count of child abuse and two felony counts of preventing a witness from reporting a crime. The jury also found true the allegation that Elias caused grievous bodily harm.
Gibbs was also sentenced the same day. The jury convicted him of one count of second-degree murder, one count of aggravated torture and one count of aggravated child abuse. The jury found true the charge that Gibbs caused grievous bodily harm and used a weapon in the commission of the crime.
Elias and Gibbs were sentenced on April 2 by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott Yang.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Dist. atis. Suzanna Friedman and Dianne Hong of the Family Violence Division, Antelope Valley Branch. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau investigated the case.
