Modesto Man Guilty in Kidnapping Assault | Sacramento News

0:00It's September 11th, Sacramento News. Today starts now, AI-powered and ready. I'm Cory with the story. Alright, let's talk about a serious case out of Modesto. A jury just found Gary Lee Cherry, a 41-year-old man, guilty. The charges are kidnapping with the intent to commit rape or sexual assault, and he's looking at a potential life sentence. This all stems from an incident back on March 22nd, 2026. He reportedly offered a woman a ride home from downtown Modesto. Instead of taking her where she needed to go, he drove her to a secluded spot and wouldn't let her leave. That's when the assault happened inside the car. Thankfully, the victim managed to get a message out to her family and the authorities using her phone. She played sick to get out of the car when her family showed up, and that's how she got away while Cherry bolted. Detectives got on it that same night and were able to identify Cherry as a suspect. They also found connections to other similar cases he might be involved in.

1:01Now, Cherry is facing sentencing on November 9th, 2026, for those kidnapping and assault charges. The investigation isn't over. Police are still looking into him for other potential sexual assaults involving different victims. If you have any information that could help the Modesto Police Department with this case, especially regarding other crimes Cherry might have, committed, you can reach out to Detective Doug Ridenhor at 209-495-9844.