Prominent California climber Lonnie Kauk sentenced to 6 months in jail |
Screenshot of Lonnie Kauk climbing.
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of domestic abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 in the U.S.
Prominent California rock climber Lonnie Kauk has been sentenced to six months in jail for a 2023 attack on his former girlfriend that left her unconscious.
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Judge Gerald Mohun sentenced Kauk, 44, to 180 days in the Mono County Jail and 48 months of supervised probation for three felonies and one misdemeanor for domestic violence, which he was convicted of in April.
Kauk faced a maximum possible sentence of eight years and four months in state prison, but the court was ultimately more lenient due to his lack of a criminal record and character witness testimony.
The charges stem from a June 2023 attack in Mammoth Lakes involving Kauk’s then-girlfriend, Riley Hancock, according to court testimony. Prosecutors said Kauk strangled Hancock until she lost consciousness and threatened to kill her, her dog and her father.
Photos introduced as evidence showed a bruised handprint on........