LOS ANGELES (CA)
Boyle Heights Beat [Boyle Heights, CA]
June 24, 2025
By Alex Medina
Theodore Gabrielli is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, and investigators are urging other potential victims to come forward
A former priest who served at Dolores Mission Catholic Church in Boyle Heights has been arrested and is facing child sex abuse charges tied to a case that dates back more than 30 years, authorities said.
Theodore Edward Gabrielli, 61, was arrested on June 12 in Los Osos, an unincorporated town in San Luis Obispo County (SLO), according to a press release by the SLO County Sheriff’s Department. He is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, and investigators are urging other potential victims to come forward.
Gabrielli held various roles at schools, ministries and churches in San Jose, Los Gatos and Los Angeles. At Dolores Mission, he served as associate pastor from 1998 to 2001 and again from 2011 to 2014, before becoming pastor from 2014 to 2022.
He then returned as associate pastor from October of 2022 to July 2023, according to a spokesperson for Jesuits West Province, which covers California.
The spokesperson said Dolores Mission has been notified of the charges against Gabrielli, and information on the case has been shared with its school and parish communities. Boyle Heights Beat requested a comment from Dolores Mission Church, but was referred to Jesuits West Province.
The SLO County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit launched an investigation into the case a year ago after receiving a report of the abuse. During the investigation, three male victims, all members of the same family, were identified.
According to investigators, the abuse began when the family had been living in Mexico and befriended Gabrielli.
He allegedly took three boys, all under the age of 14 at the time, to multiple locations in California, including his parents’ home in Los Osos, where the abuse began.
The victims said the sexual abuse continued over the course of about eight years, according to the report. They came forward and reported the assaults on August 28, 2024.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information about the case or other potential victims is encouraged to call the SLO Sheriff’s Detective Division at (805) 781-4500. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-7867.