A Cape Coral woman could spend the rest of her life behind bars after a jury found her guilty in an incident that involved the torture and beating of a man.
Following a trial that wrapped up Tuesday, 64-year-old Luz Marina Huyo was convicted of two counts of kidnapping and one count of grand theft. Huyo, of 1620 Palaco Grande Parkway, is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Her sentencing is set for Sept. 20 before Judge Ramiro Manalich.
Assistant State Attorney Claudia Stewart prosecuted the case. Samantha Syoen, spokeswoman for the State Attorney’s Office, said Wednesday that the state rarely comments on a case, and this has yet to go to sentencing.
Attorney Philip Steinberg, who represented Huyo, did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.
According to police reports, Huyo was present in her home when four men beat and tortured the victim over an unpaid debt of about $25,000 owed to Huyo. One of the men arrested and charged in the incident is her son, Oscar Perez, 28, also of 1620 Palaco Grande Parkway.
Juan Antonio Rivera, 34, and Carmelo Jorge Lopez, 27, both of Fort Myers, are also facing charges in connection to the alleged June 25, 2009, incident.
The reports state that the victim was doing work at Huyo’s home to pay off the loan when the four men jumped him and stripped him naked, then tied and bound him using electrical tape. The men used knives, an electric grinder and other items to injury the man, including knocking out the man’s front teeth.
While the man was being beaten and tortured, Huyo picked up the victim’s wife under the pretense the woman was going to speak to her husband and drove the woman back to the Palaco Grande home. Once there, the woman was forced to watch the beatings and torture, according to the reports.
Huyo reportedly threatened the wife with violence if she called police.
According to the reports, the victim lost unconsciousness and was driven to the hospital by Huyo. The wife was then driven back to her home, and the group reportedly threatened her and her daughters with rape if they did not cooperate. Before leaving, Huyo and the men took various items from the home, including a car, the reports state.
Huyo was initially arrested and charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count each of aggravated battery cause bodily harm or disability, larceny theft $300 or more but less than $5,000, robbery residential home invasion without firearm or weapon and grand vehicle theft.
The State Attorney’s Office did not file the robbery and grand vehicle theft charges, and the larceny charge was amended to the grand theft count that she was found guilty of. Huyo was acquitted/found not guilty of the battery charge in a non-jury trial, according to court records.
Perez has a court date Thursday. He is facing two counts of kidnapping and one count each of attempted second-degree murder, home invasion robbery and grand theft of motor vehicle.
Rivera and Lopez are each facing two counts of kidnapping and one count each of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon or causing bodily harm and grand theft.
Both have court dates set for Tuesday, according to records.