Naasón Joaquín García Explained
Naasón Merarí Joaquín García (born on 7 May 1969) is a convicted sex offender, and the third leader of the La Luz del Mundo church, succeeding his father, Samuel Joaquín Flores. In 2020, he pled guilty in California to three charges related to sexually abusing children and was imprisoned for 16 years 8 months.
Early life
Joaquín García was born on 7 May 1969 in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, the fifth of seven children to Samuel Joaquín Flores and Eva García.[1]
Career
Before succeeding his father as head of La Luz del Mundo at 45,[2] he was a minister for the group in Santa Ana, California; he had previously served as minister for other congregations in cities throughout California (Huntington Park, San Diego, East Los Angeles, Santa Maria) and Arizona.
Arrest and legal proceedings
On 3 June 2019, Joaquín García was arrested and charged by prosecutors from Los Angeles County with sexual abuse charges involving minors.[3] [4] [5] Susana Medina Oaxaca and Alondra Ocampo were also charged. Joaquín García was held on $50 million bail, Ocampo on $25 million, and Oaxaca remained free on bail. A fourth defendant, Azalea Rangel Melendez, who was previously charged with rape, remained at large. In addition, a federal lawsuit against the church and Joaquín García alleging that he and his father regularly sexually abused a Southern California girl from the time she was twelve until she was eighteen was still pending .[6]
Two days before his trial in June 2022, Joaquín Garcia pleaded guilty to three charges related to sexually abusing children.[7] On 8 June 2022, he was convicted and sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison.[8]
He was transferred to North Kern State Prison for evaluations to determine his placement within the prison system.[9] He was to also undergo a civil trial on charges including human trafficking and forced labor; a RICO suit named him, the organization called Light of the World, his mother, his wife, his brother, and many of the leaders of the organization.[10] Federal criminal investigations were pending in both the United States and Mexico.[11], he is held in the California Institution for Men in Chino, California.[12]
In October 2023, Joaquín Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges relating to the production and possession of child pornography.[13]
Personal life
Joaquín Garcia is married to Alma Zamora; they have three children.[14]
References
- News: Es Naasón Joaquín García, nuevo líder de La Luz del Mundo . 3 March 2020 . Crónica Jalisco . 15 December 2014 . es . 2 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200302164942/https://www.cronicajalisco.com/notas/2014/32559.html . live .
- Web site: Naasón Merarí Joaquín García: El 'apóstol' del poder. 2019-06-06. Eje Central. es. 2020-02-24. 2020-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418204230/https://www.ejecentral.com.mx/el-apostol-del-poder/. live.
- News: Garcia . Blanca . La Luz del Mundo Church Leader Accused of Sex Crimes . 3 March 2020 . Santa Barbara Independent . 9 June 2019 . 2 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200302162914/https://www.independent.com/2019/06/09/la-luz-del-mundo-church-leader-accused-of-sex-crimes/ . live .
- News: Cosgrove . Jaclyn . Johnson . Reed . Miller . Leila . Leader of La Luz Del Mundo religious group arrested on suspicion of rape, child porn . 3 March 2020 . . 4 June 2019 . 11 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200411172640/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-la-luz-del-mundo-charges-abuse-20190604-story.html . live .
- News: Miller . Leila . Sex abuse charges against La Luz del Mundo leader are the 'tip of the iceberg,' prosecutors say . 3 March 2020 . . 22 June 2019 . 11 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191011101030/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-luz-del-mundo-bail-201906-story.html . live .
- Web site: Child rape charges refiled against Mexican megachurch leader . AP News . 4 August 2020 . 31 July 2020 . 2 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200802215615/https://apnews.com/b980dca56ef04de3f6f07fbfe672fac6 . live .
- News: La Luz del Mundo church leader pleads guilty to sex abuse charges. 2022-06-03. Los Angeles Times. 2022-06-04. 0458-3035. 2022-06-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20220604020748/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-03/as-sex-abuse-trial-starts-proceedings-could-pull-back-curtain-on-la-luz-del-mundo-church?_amp=true. live.
- News: Mexican megachurch leader gets more than 16 years for abuse . https://web.archive.org/web/20220723215808/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexican-megachurch-leader-faces-16-years-prison-85260319 . 23 July 2022 . ABC News . 8 June 2022 .
- News: The Light of the World: Naasón Joaquín is changed from jail for this reason . 2023-06-16. 2022-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20220826040244/https://www.paudal.com/2022/08/18/the-light-of-the-world-naason-joaquin-is-changed-from-jail-for-this-reason/.
- Web site: Home Page . 2022-12-27 . Today90 . 2022-12-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221227034530/https://www.today90.com/ . live .
- News: Albeck-Ripka . Livia . 2022-06-09 . Leader of Mexican Church Is Sentenced to 16 Years for Sex Crimes . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-12-27 . 0362-4331 . 2022-08-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220826040243/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/09/us/california-mexican-church-abuse.html . live .
- Web site: CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer . 2023-04-13 . inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov .
- News: Tran . Emi Tuyetnhi . Head of megachurch, in prison for sex abuse, is charged with producing child pornography . 28 October 2023 . NBC News . 26 October 2023.
- Web site: Naasón Joaquín García: quién es líder de La Luz del Mundo (biografía). www.milenio.com. 2020-02-24. 2020-04-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20200413133606/https://www.milenio.com/policia/naason-joaquin-garcia-lider-luz-mundo-biografia. live. es.
