MARTINEZ — A 34-year-old Lafayette man is facing a possible life sentence after a jury found him guilty of holding a family hostage in their apartment, according to prosecutors.
Related Articles
San Jose motorcyclist charged after passenger killed in train collision
In dramatic fashion, judge kicks attorney off Antioch police brutality case
Four arrested in connection with East Bay cigarette heist
Man convicted of 2022 SF carjacking and robbery
Man injured in East Oakland shooting, two arrested
On Thursday, a jury convicted Kenneth McIsaac on multiple felony charges, including two counts of kidnapping to commit robbery, two counts of kidnapping for ransom, first-degree residential robbery, child abuse, false imprisonment and criminal threats, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The harrowing incident happened on Sept. 24, 2022. As a mother and her children returned from the pool in their apartment complex, McIsaac followed them into their unit, shut the door and announced he was there to rob them, according to prosecutors. He also lifted his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a gun that was later found to be a replica.
The mother called for her husband, who entered the living room. Prosecutors said McIsaac then forced the family to the floor, retrieved kitchen knives, and handed the mother duct tape to tie up her husband and children before binding her himself.
For more than four hours, McIsaac held the family captive and threatened to kill the parents in front of the children, according to prosecutors.
The husband eventually managed to free himself of his bindings, and when McIsaac returned to the living room, the husband fought back and subdued him long enough to allow the rest of the family to escape and seek help, prosecutors said.
In August 2023, McIsaac was placed in a mental health diversion program despite objections from the district attorney’s office. He fled in October of that year but was captured the following month.
“This verdict holds Kenneth McIsaac accountable for the harm he caused this family,” District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “His conviction sends a strong message that violent crimes of this nature will not be tolerated in Contra Costa County.”
McIsaac is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 by Judge Mary Ann O’Malley in Martinez.
