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Palmdale man pleads not guilty to kidnapping, assaulting girlfriend

by Anthony Cheval • January 7, 2014

Giovanni McKinnis was arraigned at the Antelope Valley courthouse Tuesday, Jan. 7. (Photo by TONY CHEVAL)
Giovanni McKinnis was arraigned at the Antelope Valley courthouse Tuesday, Jan. 7. (Photo by TONY CHEVAL)

LANCASTER – A 19-year-old man accused of kidnapping the mother of his child and keeping her captive inside a Palmdale apartment for more than a week has been charged with multiple felonies.

Giovanni Grey McKinnis was charged Tuesday with kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, making criminal threats and two counts of corporal injury to child’s parent. McKinnis also faces a misdemeanor count of disobeying a domestic relations court order, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The complaint further alleges that McKinnis personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife, and that McKinnis personally inflicted great bodily injury upon his victim under circumstances involving domestic violence.

If convicted as charged, McKinnis faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison. (TONY CHEVAL)
If convicted as charged, McKinnis faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison. (TONY CHEVAL)

McKinnis allegedly kidnapped and falsely imprisoned the mother of his child from Dec. 27, 2013, to Jan. 4, according to Deputy District Attorney Theodore Swanson.  During that period, the victim was threatened, beaten and punched by McKinnis, resulting in her jaw being broken, the prosecutor added.

Sheriff’s detectives said the victim’s mother witnessed the kidnapping, but did not call police because she was in fear of McKinnis. The crime was made known to detectives on Saturday, Jan. 4, when the victim’s father reported her missing to the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station, detectives said.

That day, deputies detained McKinnis at an apartment in the 1100 block of E. Avenue Q-4 in Palmdale.

“The victim was found by deputies cowering; apparently due to fear, threats, and assault, underneath the mattress in a void area of a bed in one of the rooms,” sheriff’s detectives said in a previously issued press release. Read it here.

McKinnis appeared in an Antelope Valley courtroom Tuesday afternoon (Jan. 7) and pleaded not guilty to all charges. A preliminary hearing on the case is set for Friday, January 17.

If convicted as charged, McKinnis faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

–

UPDATED 1/17/14: A preliminary court hearing for Giovanni McKinnis was scheduled for today at Antelope Valley courthouse, however, the hearing was postponed until Monday, Jan. 27, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

Previous related story: Palmdale man accused of abduction, assault

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

15 comments for "Palmdale man pleads not guilty to kidnapping, assaulting girlfriend"

  1. louis says

    January 13, 2014 at 8:30 pm

    My ex employee over all good kid I’m in shock

  2. kim says

    January 12, 2014 at 6:43 am

    If he is such a good dad why doesn’t he have custody of his kid?
    Did you know he already had a restraining order against he wasn’t even supposed to be in the house with his child are around my mother. Granted there are two sides to every story I self don’t even understand why the mother did not call however they are extenuating circumstance. Since no one was there but those two you have to ask yourself how did her job you’re broke we all know that there’s a history between him and the mother of domestic violence this is not the first time but his hands on her. However complete agreement the money should have called if she felt her child was in any type of danger. I personally think that damn I came into got out of control he broke her jaw and got scared. Now as for the rest of the BS.I don’t know all I can say is the situation is sad. Because there is a child involved.oh and by the way of course his grandmother supposed to defend him however she knew full well that he wasn’t supposed to be in the house because he had a restraining order she chose to defy it herself.

  3. Lynn says

    January 12, 2014 at 6:41 am

    If he is such a good dad why doesn’t he have custody of his kid?
    Did you know he already had a restraining order against he wasn’t even supposed to be in the house with his child are around my mother. Granted there are two sides to every story I self don’t even understand why the mother did not call however they are extenuating circumstance. Since no one was there but those two you have to ask yourself how did her job you’re broke we all know that there’s a history between him and the mother of domestic violence this is not the first time but his hands on her. However complete agreement the money should have called if she felt her child was in any type of danger. I personally think that damn I came into got out of control he broke her jaw and got scared. Now as for the rest of the BS.I don’t know all I can say is the situation is sad. Because there is a child involved.oh and by the way of course his grandmother supposed to defend him however she knew full well that he wasn’t supposed to be in the house because he had a restraining order she chose to defy it herself. And yet Tiffany may have had mental issues does Giovanni.

    • anonymous says

      January 22, 2014 at 7:15 pm

      Cause his baby mommas a psycho liar and I saw her face not even a scratch on it but her lies got 3 kids removed from that house

  4. Forgiveness! says

    January 9, 2014 at 10:09 am

    I say give him another chance!!! I mean he looks like a nice person! I’m sure he just wanted to talk to her, that’s all!

    • sikntired says

      January 9, 2014 at 12:59 pm

      How was she supposed to answer with a broken jaw?

      • AV Folk says

        January 9, 2014 at 7:56 pm

        I detect undetected sarcasm.

  5. Dont Bother Asking says

    January 9, 2014 at 5:13 am

    Seen this kid around couple of times and people seem to like him but just because your friends with the guy and just because he says hes a good father does not mean it true and making up lies for him trying to defend the man please stop like its said….she didnt break her own jaw, she wasent staying at home all day just cause she wanted to, she didnt find help from police just cause she was joking, this man deserves to be in jail and kids shouldnt be having kids…

  6. Do not judge what You don't know! says

    January 8, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    As a friend of gio I will personally say he is a devoted father who lives his kid with a passion and he is a caring person I doubt he would do something like that I mean it is absolutely rediculous for her to be kidnapped Ian’s if so why did it take her family more than a day to inform the police if the law states that if any kidnapping were to be done and is witnessed it is to be issued a amber alert come on like seriously !!! Gio is guilty !!!!!

    • AV Folk says

      January 9, 2014 at 5:21 am

      That’s what I am saying! He is a good dad and was about to go to school blah blah. Blah.

  7. One Who Knows says

    January 8, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    Accusations made by 19 year old woman and her mother were found to be false and exaggerated

    • ooooK says

      January 8, 2014 at 10:59 pm

      And I’m sure she broke her own jaw while hiding in the house and refusing to leave like his grandma says right? Look at his fb page. He clearly lacks respect for women and has no business raising a child! maybe if he had family & friends to call him on his bs he wouldn’t be in this position

  8. sickandtired says

    January 8, 2014 at 11:38 am

    16 years is not long enough. He should be put down in the same manner as any other mad dog. What we need to instill in our youth, especially girls, is complete Zero Tolerance for that bs. She could have kicked him sideways into next year had she not been tricked into fearing the dog.

  9. disgusted says

    January 8, 2014 at 6:10 am

    Not enough time for him!!!

  10. AV Folk says

    January 7, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    He’s such a good dad and was just about to go to school blah blah blah…

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