A caregiver in Southern California, tasked with looking after an 80-year-old mother, is set to face trial after being implicated in alleged abuse exposed through numerous TikTok videos. These videos documented disturbing behavior over several months and have garnered millions of views.
This week in Bakersfield, a judge rejected Julie Rothgeb’s request for a mental health diversion, a move that would have allowed her to avoid trial and go straight into treatment. The alleged abuse, captured in over 50 Ring videos shared on social media, includes one count of misdemeanor assault and multiple counts of elder abuse.
During a prior court session, Rothgeb’s attorney sought to bypass trial, but the judge denied the request, particularly under pressure from prosecutors. The reported mistreatment involved striking the elderly woman with a fly swatter, as well as emotional and physical abuse. Caregivers allegedly forced her to exercise for extensive periods while weighted down, according to reports.
Windy Duenas, the daughter of the victim, expressed her frustration about the delays leading up to trial, stating, “It just kept happening every court date.” She voiced concerns about the seeming trivialization of the case and expressed a loss of faith in the justice system, saying, “I’m angry that we’re here… with so much evidence.”
The family initially faced obstacles when seeking charges against Rothgeb; prosecutors had previously claimed there wasn’t enough evidence, despite the existence of numerous videos. Duenas shared her disbelief, emphasizing that there were already more than 50 videos at that time.
In 2025, after further investigation revealing additional videos and testimonies, new prosecutors chose to charge Rothgeb with a misdemeanor. Duenas noted, “They argue that it’s worth filing a misdemeanor charge, if it meets all elements of some felonies.” Meanwhile, Jeremy Oliver from Kern County Adult and Senior Services mentioned that his office dealt with thousands of elder abuse cases last year, with many more cases remaining unreported.
A jury trial has been scheduled for June 29, 2026.
The county’s Adult and Senior Services has been contacted for further comments.
