By Nancy Aviña
SACRAMENTO – A 59-year-old caregiver arrested last August after an elderly woman died at a board and care home in Rancho Cordova, will be released soon on a $200,000 property bond over the opposition of the victim’s family and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office after a hearing here in Sacramento County Superior Court Friday.
There are several allegations that Oluwatoyin Mudashiru, jailed now for months, was involved in elder abuse and the death.
Mudashiru, on a motion by her lawyer Randall Ensminger, was granted the statewide COVID-19 emergency bail schedule that was set into place last April.
However, Deputy District Attorney Teresa Sydow stated that if the court was inclined to release the defendant, she’d ask for bail, because of the severity of the crime, be set at higher, pre-COVID-19, levels.
Defense attorney Ensminger wanted the court to use a property bond that was posted by a Nigerian community member who knows Mudashiru. Ensminger said the property was valued on Zillow at $200,000 and stated the community member is willing to post the property bond as a bond for the release of Mudashiru.
Additionally, another Sacramento Nigerian community member reached out to Ensminger to state that she was able to provide Mudashiru a place to stay as well as groceries to feed her. Mudashiru has been in custody for six months.
Following this, DDA Sydow asked the judge to listen to the victim’s family under the California Victim’s Bill of Rights.
DDA Sydow also hoped to get Judge Timothy Frawley to take into consideration the “flight risk” that stems from the release of Mudashiru and, in turn, hoped to continue with the GPS ankle monitor for the public’s safety—as well as the surrender of her passport.
The deceased victim’s twin sister and her brother spoke, encouraging the court to set bail at a larger amount.
During her statement, the twin sister of the victim stated, “My twin died a needless death and we are very concerned of her (Mudashiru) posting bail and then disappearing.”
Additionally, the brother of the decedent stated, “I had concerns of potential elder abuse because Loretta at times would call and say things like, ‘I can’t talk right now’ and hang up the phone because there’s somebody listening.”
The brother stated that he was concerned that the defendant was seeking bail as, “What is to say that she (Mudashiru) won’t disappear from the country to never to be heard from again.”
After hearing from the victims, Judge Timothy Frawley set a $200,000 cash or property bond bail, with conditions of an ankle monitor and passport surrender to release Mudashiru from custody.
The defendant was scheduled to meet for a court appearance on April 9 in Dept. 61 at 8:30 a.m. to review property bond as well and an agreement between the defense counsel and DDA.
Nancy is a third-year Communication and Political Science – Public Service double major at the University of California, Davis, originally from Morgan Hill, California.
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