A Bakersfield judge sentenced caregiver Julie Joleen Rothgeb Thursday to 60 days in jail as part of one year of probation after her conviction on one misdemeanor count of elder abuse and four misdemeanor counts of battery. The sentence also requires 480 hours of supervised community service and a five-year stay-away order from the victim.

The case began with a June 2025 Ring camera video that spread on social media. It appeared to show Rothgeb abusing a woman named Diane, now 70, according to 23ABC News Bakersfield. Investigators alleged Rothgeb repeatedly yelled at Diane and strapped weights to her wrists and ankles, making her exercise for hours at a time, the station reported.

Diversion Denied, Case Moves to Sentencing

Before sentencing, Rothgeb sought Mental Health Diversion. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office opposed the request, and the court denied it, leaving the case to proceed to sentencing.

Windy Dueñas, who attended the sentencing remotely, said she continued seeking accountability after her initial report to authorities did not lead to action, according to 23ABC News Bakersfield.

Defense Points to Mental Health Episode

Rothgeb’s public defender, Ryan Fallgatter, told the station that she was experiencing a mental health episode when the recordings were made, which he attributed in part to a change in her anxiety medication. He also said he respected the judge’s finding of elder abuse.

Diane’s family gave victim impact statements. A family member identified as Parker told the court that the verdict and jail sentence brought some relief but could not undo the harm to Diane and her family. Parker also urged that elder abuse be taken seriously and that people who report it not be intimidated.

Family Credits Attorney, Urges Others to Report Abuse

Diane’s family credited attorney Mike Strand with helping them pursue accountability and urged others to report suspected abuse to adult protective services, or to call 911 in an emergency.

Reporting suspected elder abuse

For national context, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs says Elder Justice Roadmap research suggests only one out of every 24 elder-abuse cases is reported. That is a national finding, not an estimate specific to Kern County, according to the Office of Justice Programs. Kern County Adult Protective Services advises calling 911 for immediate or life-threatening concerns and lists (800) 277-7866 as its 24-hour number for reporting elder or dependent-adult abuse in the county, according to Kern County Adult Protective Services.

The case lands amid broader concern about how often elder abuse goes unreported in Kern County. Jeremy Oliver has said Kern County Adult and Aging Services investigated roughly 7,000 reports in the prior year alone, and he has cited an estimate that for every reported case, about 24 more go unreported, as detailed in a separate report from the same station. Oliver has also said financial abuse in particular is far more common than most realize and far harder to detect.

Earlier county data cited by the outlet showed reported elder-abuse cases climbing from 3,141 in 2014 to 4,170 in 2017, a 33% increase in referrals, prompting the Kern County Board of Supervisors to declare June 2018 Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Oliver has pointed to the county’s shifting demographics as part of the reason for continued vigilance, noting that 25% of the population is projected to be 60 or older by 2030.