Gary Steven McJimsey, 36, of Long Beach was sentenced to eight years in county jail for a series of domestic-violence incidents in which he battered two separate women, threatened them both multiple times by phone and text message, and vandalized their personal property, the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s office announced this week.
“This is probably the longest misdemeanor domestic violence sentence in Long Beach history,” said City Prosecutor Doug Haubert, who praised the sentence. “The sentence was long but appropriate because of the harm repeatedly inflicted by McJimsey and the extreme fear he caused his victims. The judge had little choice but to give him the maximum in order to prevent future violence.”
Long Beach Superior Court Commissioner Nicole Heeseman, who presided over the case, sentenced McJimsey after a jury took less than one hour to return all nine misdemeanor counts of guilty.
The court consolidated two cases for trial.
According to Haubert’s office, in the first case, on Feb. 8, 2015, McJinsey broke into the apartment where his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child was sleeping.
McJimsey followed her outside while she attempted to call police, threw her to the ground and punched her while straddling her. McJimsey then smashed the windows of her car with a hammer. Later, McJimsey sent her threatening text messages stating, “Your f—ing dead,” and “One day ur gonna look back if your still here and wish this day never happen.”
In the second case, on Nov. 5, 2015, McJimsey saw his girlfriend, “Denise,” in a photo standing with another man.
McJimsey, who also has a child with Denise, became enraged with jealousy and sent her a series of text messages, including one stating he would “bash [her] head into a pulp.”
The next day, McJimsey texted Denise a video of him inside her bedroom cutting up her clothes with scissors.
Over the next two weeks, McJimsey made threatening calls and text messages to her, prompting her to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO). After he was served with the TRO, McJimsey broke into Denise’s home by sawing off the metal security door, in violation of the TRO. The jury also heard evidence that McJimsey assaulted Denise in 2012 while she was pregnant with his child.
Long Beach Deputy City Prosecutor Pooja Kumar handled the jury trial and sentencing.
“The defendant’s pattern of abuse and violence was very serious and would have continued,” Kumar said. “Both victims lived in fear for their safety, and there’s no telling what he would have done to them next.”
