Fresno County Sheriff’s detectives have booked Steve Minamoto, 59, of Squaw Valley into the Fresno County Jail. He faces a felony count of elder abuse.
On August 6th at 9:00 am, deputies responded to a home on the 1000 block of Silver Lane in Squaw Valley for a report of an injured person. A 911 call was made after a person passing through the area saw 81-year-old Kaoru (a.k.a. Kay) Minamoto lying on the ground near her son, Steve Minamoto. The elderly woman was unconscious and had visible signs of injury. Paramedics transported Kay to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno where she later died.
Detectives began an investigation to try and determine what lead to Kay’s injuries and ultimately her death. They later learned that Steve and Kay were involved in an argument in the driveway of her home; both lived at this residence. The two got into a physical altercation, at which time Steve pushed Kay, causing her to fall down and strike her head on the ground. Detectives established they had enough evidence to arrest Steve Minamoto. On October 5th, a judge issued an arrest warrant. On October 6th, detectives arrested him.
Minamoto has been booked under Penal Code 368(b)(3)(B). The criteria for this charge is as follows:
(b) Any person who knows or reasonably should know that a person is an elder or dependent adult and who, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any elder or dependent adult to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any elder or dependent adult, willfully causes or permits the person or health of the elder or dependent adult to be injured, or willfully causes or permits the elder or dependent adult to be placed in a situation in which his or her person or health is endangered, is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not to exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years. (3) If in the commission of an offense described in paragraph (1), the defendant proximately causes the death of the victim, the defendant shall receive an additional term in the state prison as follows: (B) Seven years if the victim is 70 years of age or older.
Anyone with additional information on Steve Minamoto is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867).
