Online Extra: January hearing set for SF man in elder abuse case

  • by John Ferrannini, Assistant Editor
  • Tuesday December 10, 2019
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Online Extra: January hearing set for SF man in elder abuse case

A status hearing will be held in January for a San Francisco man who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of vandalism and false imprisonment stemming from an elder abuse case.

A no contest plea is similar to a guilty plea. The court made a finding of guilt after the plea, according to trial records.

Natthakarn Laohacharoensombat, 34, who goes by "Ray," was ordered to complete 24 anger management classes at the July 8 hearing when four of the initial six charges were dismissed. He is out of custody and his next court hearing is a status and restitution report January 8, according to court records.

Laohacharoensombat pleaded no contest to the counts after having been initially charged with elder abuse and three other criminal counts, according to trial records reviewed by the Bay Area Reporter.

As the B.A.R. previously reported August 1, 2018, Laohacharoensombat was charged with six criminal counts May 29, 2018 relating to his treatment of a then-63-year-old man he was allegedly caring for.

The dropped charges from that initial complaint were elder abuse, grand theft relating to the alleged stealing of the victim's watch, criminal threats, and petty theft relating to the alleged use of the victim's ATM card.

The vandalism charge, to which Laohacharoensombat pleaded, relates to damaging the victim's eyeglasses with graffiti, causing damages of less than $400, according to the complaint.

Laohacharoensombat currently is the subject of two stay-away orders. One is from the victim in the false imprisonment case. The second is from a former lover, according to court documents reviewed by the B.A.R.

As the B.A.R. previously reported, Laohacharoensombat violated the stay-away order in the false imprisonment case by attempting to enter the elderly man's home shortly after the indictment. The man called the police and Laohacharoensombat fled.

He was arrested for violating the order on June 3, 2018 and had to wear an electronic monitoring device until November 2, 2018, according to court documents.

In June 2016, Laohacharoensombat filed a lawsuit in which he alleged he was not compensated properly during his time as an employee of Entour Castro, a clothing store at 3600 16th Street, according to court documents.

However, Laohacharoensombat's attorney moved that the action be dismissed and it was dismissed with prejudice in October 2016, according to court documents.

An individual once acquainted with Laohacharoensombat, who wishes to remain anonymous citing safety concerns, said that he is worried about Laohacharoensombat.

"He can be the sweetest, nicest, most likeable person and then he turns on a dime and becomes destructive to people and anything in his path," the person said. "He doesn't care who or what he's harming."

The San Francisco Public Defender's office, which represented Laohacharoensombat, did not return a request for comment as of press time.

The elderly victim did not return a request for comment as of press time.

The B.A.R. attempted to reach Laohacharoensombat through a phone number associated with him and the public defender's office, neither of which responded as of press time, and an individual currently acquainted with him.