BAY SHORE, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — A 35-year-old man who abducted his ex-girlfriend at knifepoint and took her to Brooklyn in 2022 was sentenced to decades in prison, Suffolk County D.A. Raymond Tierney announced Tuesday.
Holmark Garces, 35, of Bay Shore, was handed a sentence of 27 to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of kidnapping, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal contempt, menacing and harassment in May.
According to officials, in October 2019, when Garces and the victim lived together in a home in Bay Shore, Garces became extremely controlling and abusive. Garces isolated the victim from her family and friends and repeatedly took her cell phone to surveil her activity and communications.
In December 2019, after the victim moved out of Garces’ house, Garces continued his manipulative and controlling behavior even after she was no longer living with him, prosecutors said.
A stay away order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim On Nov. 24, 2020. Over the next two years, Garces repeatedly stalked the victim at
her home, place of employment, doctor’s appointments, errands, and social gatherings, leading to multiple arrests for violating the order of protection.
On Nov. 22, 2021, the victim was home in her backyard when Garces appeared at her home in violation of the order of protection and took her cellphone out of her hands. The victim ran into her house and called the police, and the Garces was arrested for criminal contempt.
On June 26, 2022, the victim was at Wildwood State Park in Riverhead when Garces appeared and approached the victim and called her names, in violation of the order of protection.
Almost two months later, on Aug. 23, 2022, while the victim was walking home, Garces approached her in his vehicle, grabbed her arm, and attempted to get her into his car, all in violation of the order of protection. Two bystanders called the police and Garces fled before the police arrived.
Weeks later, on Sept. 5, 2022, Garces pulled up to the victim's residence while she was returning home from an evening out with her friends. The victim ran inside her home and called the police, but Garces fled the location before they arrived.
Garces’ continued conduct caused the victim to move and change jobs numerous times in an effort to hide from him, prosecutors said.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2022, the victim was walking home from a friend’s house in Brentwood when Garces drove his gray 1999 Toyota Corolla up to her, got out of his vehicle, grabbed her by the hair, and threw her to the ground before throwing her in the backseat of his car.
Witnesses heard the victim screaming for help while struggling with Garces
and nearby surveillance footage captured audio of her screams for help. The witnesses called 911 to report the abduction.
Garces then drove the victim to Brooklyn while holding a kitchen knife to
her leg. During the drive to Brooklyn, the victim texted her son to call the police, alerting him that Garces had kidnapped her.
Prosecutors said the victim and her son had a GPS tracking application installed on their cellular phones, allowing her son to see her location in real time.
Suffolk County police obtained the victim’s son’s cellphone and started pursuing Garces by utilizing the GPS application.
Suffolk County Police located Garces’ vehicle and observed the victim in the backseat waiving for help. Garces then drove away at a high rate of speed, attempting to evade police officers.
Once surrounded by NYPD officers in Brooklyn, Garces crashed his car into multiple NYPD vehicles in an attempt to flee.
Garces was arrested by NYPD officers at the scene and the kitchen knife was recovered from inside his vehicle. He was indicted in Brooklyn on multiple charges related to this incident, and that case is still pending.
"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 Tierney. “My office will continue to protect survivors of domestic violence by holding perpetrators fully accountable for their actions."