Calif. man sentenced for holding elderly woman hostage at hotel for 2 years and torturing, raping her
06/09/2025 1:45 pm PDT
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (TCN) -- A 57-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for holding a 74-year-old woman hostage for years and torturing, raping, and threatening her.
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office announced June 3 that Ian Kroe received a sentence of 394 years to life in prison and was denied probation. Kroe was previously convicted in February of 33 felonies for the repeated rape, torture, and imprisonment of an elderly woman.
At sentencing, the victim reportedly said she "survived beyond all odds."
According to SFGate, Kroe began speaking with the victim in 2016. She was reportedly friends with his mother, who died that year. The victim allegedly traveled from Minnesota to the Bay Area as her friendship with Kroe grew.
In August 2020, Kroe reportedly imprisoned the victim at a hotel, and for two years, he tortured, raped, and threatened her life if she tried to leave. When the victim’s ankle broke, Kroe allegedly failed to seek medical help. SFGate reports that he also drained her financial accounts.
The victim reportedly reached out to a friend in 2022, and they called Belmont Police. Responding officers found the woman naked in the hotel room with a broken finger and bruises on her body. According to SFGate, prosecutors said she couldn’t move without assistance.
Prosecutors said Kroe "faked illness throughout the trial to delay the process."
San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told SFGate, "It is an unusual case that we have never encountered in San Mateo County."
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