The sentence was handed down today for a Tracy teen that was tortured by his guardian and three other adults. The legal guardian, Caren Ramirez, 45, along with Michael Luther Schumacher, 36, and his wife Kelly Layne Lau, 32, all faced their future at the hands of Judge Terrence Van Oss in Stockton’s San Joaquin County Superior Court after pleading guilty to burning, beating and cutting a teenage boy in the infamous Tracy torture case.
After admitting guilt, Schumacher has been sentenced to 30-years, Lau to 33 and Ramirez 34.
A plea deal was accepted by all three defendants in a bargain to drop torture charges thereby avoiding a sentence of life in prison.
Original charges included personal use of non-fire arm weapon, infliction of great bodily injury, assault with caustic chemical, child abuse/endangerment, cruelty to child by inflicting injury, corporal injury to child, aggravated mayhem, torture, kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence and terrorist threats
A fourth adult, Anthony Vincent Waiters turned down the plea bargain and took his chance at trial. He was found guilty and faces the fate the others avoided, life in prison. He is due in court on Jan. 18 for his sentencing hearing.
The tortured teenage boy, Kyle Ramirez now 18 was present in court today, accompanied by his aunt and uncle as his tormentors were sentenced.
Although Kyle did not speak during the sentencing, his recount of his life in the Tracy house of horrors during Waiters’ trial will always be remembered as he spoke of being held down and beaten by a bat, chained to a table, starved of food, made to sleep in a fireplace, having bleached poured on him, burned with a metal bat, set on fire and intimidated by threats of being chopped up and dumped in the Delta.
While at trial the attorney for Waiters attempted to shred the teenager’s testimony, the scars on his body told the truth and the video released of the then-emaciated boy fleeing his captors and running into a nearby In-Shape City gym with a chain still shackled to his leg and fireplace soot still clinging to his nearly naked body gave a look into the life of fear the boy led.
More case information available at video link to the left.
Kyle who has physically outgrown his past adding four inches and 100 lbs to his frame now lives with the aunt and uncle that supported through the trial.
Four other children of Schumacher and Lau resided in the house at the time of the assaults. Lau was a former Girl Scout leader.
All four inmates are being held in the San Joaquin County Jail in Stockton where they have been since Dec. 2008.
To view surveillance video as Kyle runs into In-Shape City during his escape, click here.
KCRA video of information on Kyle’s testimony.
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