5th person sentenced to prison for robbing a man and forcing him to withdraw cash in Garden Grove

The last of five people convicted of robbing a man at gunpoint in a Garden Grove hotel and forcing him to withdraw cash from several ATMs was sentenced Friday to 23 years in prison.

Soane Venasio Lelenoa, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this year to felony carjacking and robbery charges, leading prosecutors to dismiss several other charges, including kidnapping.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 15, 2014, a 38-year-old Costa Mesa resident met Fiona Fiaseu, a woman he had communicated with online, in person at the Garden Grove Inn in the 7900 block of Garden Grove Boulevard.

Several men, at least one armed with a handgun, attacked the man, taking his wallet, phone and car keys. they forced him to drive to nearby ATMs to withdraw more cash, before releasing him after about two hours.

Along with Lelenoa and Fiona Fiaseu, police also arrested Francisco Javier Vasquez, Timothy Joseph Perez and Finau Temukisa Fiaseu, Fiona’s brother. The others have since pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to terms ranging from six to 16 years in prison.