Sheriff Dept Press release re: Two Women Arrested for False Imprisonment of a 69 Year Old Woman

(Mokelumne Hill, CA) On 11/13/12 at approximately 1140 hours, a Calaveras County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the 20000 block of Smith Road in Mokelumne Hill for a report of a possible kidnapping. The deputy spoke with the 69 year old victim who reported that on 11/11/12 at approx. 1500 hours Suspect Martha Looney (71) and Suspect Debra Mendoza (49), both from Mokelumne Hill, contacted the victim at her house to fix her hair and makeup. The suspects are mother and daughter. While at the house the two suspects allegedly became “pushy” and began riffling through her prescription medications. Both suspects then told the victim that they were going to take the victim to their house to fix her hair. The victim willingly left in a vehicle with the suspects. While enroute the suspects told the victim that they were actually going to take her “somewhere safe.” The suspects then covered the victim with a sheet as she sat in the backseat. The suspects ended up dropping the victim off as at a medical complex in Jackson, CA. She ended up getting a ride back to her home from an employee of the medical office. She did not report the kidnapping to the medical office employees because she was scared and confused.


Calaveras Sheriff’s detectives were called in to investigate this incident. On 11/16/12, after receiving positive confirmation of the suspects’ identification, a deputy went to the suspects’ home and arrested them. Both suspects were booked into the Calaveras County Jail on the following charges:

Martha Sue Looney: 236 PC: False Imprisonment (felony)

Debra Ann Mendoza: 368 (b)(1) PC: Elder abuse (felony) and 236 PC: false imprisonment (felony).

The investigation is ongoing.