Priest accused of abusing children in San Luis Obispo County to face trial

A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that a former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing four children over nearly two decades will stand trial, bringing a case that has gripped the Central Coast one step closer to a courtroom reckoning.

Judge Finds Sufficient Evidence After Four-Day Hearing

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced that Judge Jesse Marino found probable cause to hold Theodore Edward Gabrielli, 62, to answer on 24 felony counts involving the molestation of four children, following a four-day preliminary hearing in which each of the four victims — now adults — took the stand and testified, according to CalCoastNews. The preliminary hearing is the stage at which a judge determines whether the evidence establishes probable cause — a strong suspicion that crimes were committed and that the defendant committed them — before a case can proceed to a full jury trial.

The charges against Gabrielli span alleged offenses that occurred between 1991 and 2010 across six California counties, according to the DA's Office. KEYT News reported that the DA's Office is also considering filing additional charges it believes were proven during the hearing.

A Case Rooted in Los Osos

The investigation stretches back to August 28, 2024, when the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office received a report of child abuse that had allegedly begun more than 30 years ago, according to KEYT News. Detectives with the Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit launched an investigation that ultimately identified four male victims.

Three of those victims — identified during the preliminary hearing as brothers Patricio, Oscar, and Felix — were living in Mexico when their family befriended Gabrielli, according to reporting by the Tribune via BishopAccountability.org. A fourth victim, Steven, is from San Jose, California, The Tribune reported. Sheriff's officials said the priest became close with the family and was permitted to bring the boys to various places in California — including his parents' home in Los Osos — where the victims say the abuse occurred. The assaults allegedly continued for approximately eight years.

Gabrielli was arrested on June 12, 2025, at the Los Osos residence. The charges include forced oral copulation of a child and sodomy of a child, among other felony sex crimes, according to court records cited by CalCoastNews. All alleged victims were under 15 years old at the time of the abuse.

A Priest With Deep Ties to California Catholic Institutions

The case has drawn attention not only because of the severity of the charges but because of Gabrielli's extensive history within Catholic institutions up and down California. According to CalCoastNews, Gabrielli worked with churches and schools in San Jose, Los Gatos, and Los Angeles, including Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose and Social Ministries in Los Gatos. At the time of his arrest, he was a member of the Loyola High School of Los Angeles Board of Directors and was working with the Dolores Mission in Los Angeles.

KSBY News reported that as of March 2025 — just months before his arrest — the Diocese of San Diego's website listed Gabrielli as associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in San Diego.

The case grew substantially in the months following his initial arrest. What began as five charges in June 2025 expanded significantly: by January 2026, BishopAccountability.org reported that Gabrielli was facing 35 counts, including aggravated sexual assault and sodomy by force, after prosecutors added allegations that one of the victims had been raped. The DA's office has noted it only has jurisdiction to prosecute crimes that occurred within California, though the alleged abuse reportedly extended beyond state lines.

DA, Investigators Respond

Following Judge Marino's ruling, District Attorney Dan Dow issued a statement emphasizing the office's commitment to accountability in cases of childhood sexual abuse. "This ruling affirms that there is sufficient evidence for these serious allegations to be fully heard in court," Dow said, according to the DA's official press release. He added that the office recognizes "the courage it takes for victims to come forward."

Paso Robles Daily News reported that Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa B. Muscari of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit is prosecuting the case, with victim services provided by advocate Tristan Milledge. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office led the investigation with assistance from the DA's Bureau of Investigation.

What Comes Next

Gabrielli is scheduled to appear in Department 8 of the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse on July 14, 2026, for arraignment on the criminal information — the formal charging document that replaces the complaint now that the case has cleared the preliminary hearing stage. He has been held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail since his arrest more than a year ago.

Prosecutors have signaled that the charge count could grow further: the DA's office said it is still considering filing additional charges it believes the preliminary hearing evidence supports.

Anyone with additional information about this case or other potential victims is asked to contact the SLO County Sheriff's Detective Division at 805-781-4500, or to remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 805-549-7867. Tips can also be submitted online at slotips.org.

Gabrielli is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.