Shivangi Sinha
After the Turpin children were rescued from their home in Perris, California, in 2018, the younger siblings were placed into foster care as part of the state’s response. One of the families they were placed with was that of Marcelino and Rosa Olguin. However, rather than offering the fresh start and sense of safety the children desperately needed, the placement later proved deeply troubling. In ABC’s ‘The Turpins: A New House of Horror,’ three of the youngest siblings spoke openly about their experiences in foster care and shared how those early placements shaped their lives after rescue.
Marcelino and Rosa Olguin Housed Six of the Turpin Kids as Foster Parents
Marcelino and Rosa Olguin were registered foster parents in Perris, California, and lived in their home with their daughter, Lennys Olguin. From April 2018, six of the youngest Turpin children, Jordan, James, Joanna, Jolina, Julissa, and Janna, were placed in their care at different times. In early 2021, two of the Turpin sisters accused the Olguin family of abuse and mistreatment. Following these allegations, Marcelino, Rosa, and Lennys Olguin were arrested at their home in November 2021. At the time of the arrests, four of the Turpin children were still living in the residence, along with five other kids.
Marcelino initially faced multiple charges, including three counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, four counts of lewd acts on a child aged 14 to 15 with a defendant more than 10 years older, one count of child injury, three counts of willful child cruelty, and two counts of false imprisonment. Rosa was charged with four counts of willful child cruelty, two counts of false imprisonment, two counts of dissuading a witness, one count of injuring a child, and one count of grand theft exceeding $950. Lennys faced four counts of willful child cruelty, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count each of child injury and dissuading a witness. As the investigation progressed, the Turpin children were removed from the home, and all three defendants were later released on bail.
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Marcelino Olguin is Behind Bars in California and Rosa Olguin is on Probation Today
In September 2024, Marcelino Olguin pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd acts involving a child aged 14 to 15, three counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of child injury. He was sentenced to 7 years in state prison and is required to register as a sex offender. Rosa Olguin pleaded guilty to three counts of willful child cruelty, one count of false imprisonment, one count of witness intimidation, and grand theft, receiving a sentence of 4 years of felony probation with a suspended prison term.
Their daughter, Lennys Olguin, also pleaded guilty to three counts of willful child cruelty, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of witness intimidation, and was similarly sentenced to 4 years of felony probation with a suspended term. Marcelino is currently incarcerated at the California Correctional Institution in Riverside, California, and will be eligible for parole in June 2029. Meanwhile, Rosa is on probation along with her daughter and is most likely still in California.
