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Holmark Garces, age 35, of Bay Shore, was sentenced to 27 to 30 years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Monday, Sept. 30.
According to prosecutors, the victim moved out of Garces’ Bay Shore residence in December 2019 after he became increasingly controlling and abusive. She claimed he isolated her from her family and repeatedly took her cell phone to monitor her activity and communications.
The controlling behavior reportedly continued even after the couple split, and a judge issued a stay away order of protection on behalf of the victim in November 2020.
Over the next two years, Garces repeatedly stalked the woman at her home, job, doctor’s appointments, and gatherings with friends, prosecutors said. He was arrested in November 2021 for violating the protection order after showing up to her home and taking her cell phone.
In August 2022, Garces approached the woman in his car as she was walking alone, grabbed her arm, and tried pulling her into the vehicle. He fled when two bystanders intervened and called the police.
Prosecutors argued that the abuse culminated on the night of Oct. 12, 2022, when Garces spotted his ex-girlfriend walking home from a friend’s home in Brentwood. After pulling alongside her in his Toyota Corolla, he grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the ground, and then threw her in the backseat of his car.
Several witnesses called 911 after hearing the woman screaming for help and fighting with the man. Her screams were also recorded by nearby home surveillance cameras.
Once she was inside the vehicle, Garces drove her to Brooklyn. He held a large kitchen knife to her leg throughout the nearly hour long drive, according to prosecutors.
During the drive, the woman text her son saying that Garces had kidnapped her and to call the police. Suffolk County Police were able to track her location using GPS data from her phone that was shared with her son’s phone.
Officers located Garces’ vehicle a short time later and saw the woman in the backseat waving for help. The man initially tried fleeing before crashing his car into multiple NYPD vehicles.
On Thursday, May 9, a Suffolk County jury found Garces guilty of kidnapping, harassment, and related charges.
“No one should have to live in fear, especially at the hands of someone who once claimed to love them. In Suffolk County, we will not tolerate domestic violence,” said District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“My office will continue to protect survivors of domestic violence by holding perpetrators fully accountable for their actions. We stand with them and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure their safety and justice.”
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