Lonnie Kauk Sentenced to 180 Days in County Jail
The maximum sentence was over eight years in jail, but instead he received the 180 days plus four years of probation
Lonnie Kauk, 44, was convicted on April 18, 2025 in Mono County Superior Court in Mammoth Lakes, California, for offences from 2023, incident involving his then-girlfriend, Riley Hancock. A jury found him guilty on three felony counts, plus one misdemeanour domestic violence charge.
The Mono County press release reads: “Mr. Kauk was convicted of strangling his girlfriend unconscious after an argument on June 22, 2023. Before the strangulation, he threatened to kill the victim’s dog in front of her, her father who was in the hospital at the time, and ultimately, the victim herself after he gouged her eyes out so that he was the last person she saw.”
He faced a maximum sentence of eight years and four months in state prison, but on Dec. 15, 2025, Mono County Judge Gerald Mohun sentenced him to 180 days (six months) in county jail. Kauk must pay over $2,000 in fines, participate in a 52‑week domestic violence program, and complete 100 hours of community service. He also must seek counselling, abstain from alcohol and is banned from ever owning a firearm.
Read more about the sentencing from Paige Fisher in The Sheet News here, and from Sam Hill in SFGate here.
