DA: San Jose event planner stole from girls' quinceañeras

(KRON) — A San Jose event planner is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from local families who hired him to plan their daughters’ quinceañera parties.

Prosecutors said 51-year-old Juan Martin Gaspar is a “well-known planner for San Jose families celebrating their child’s special 15th birthday.” After he took large fees from seven families, he allegedly did not pay vendors who provided supplies for the quinceañeras, including party decorations and food, according to investigators.

Gaspar, who also goes by the name “Juan Martin Barcena,” was charged with seven counts of felony grand theft, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. He bailed out of jail by posting a $100,000 bond, and he’s currently out of custody.

“A quinceañera is a very important event in a young woman’s life,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “The memories of that special day should be wonderful ones, not the memory of being ripped off by someone you trusted.”

The quinceañera investigation began when local news organizations published stories about Gaspar and his event planning business, “VIP Eventss.” The business spells its name with two “s” letters.

Later, a victim came forward to the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit to make a complaint.

Maria Torres said she paid Gaspar nearly $30,000 to plan her daughter’s quinceañera. A few months before the party, she discovered that none of the party’s vendors had received payment.

“He told me that he didn’t pay any of the persons that was going to be involved in the plan. He didn’t pay nobody,” Torres told KRON4.

Another mother reportedly paid $10,000 to book a last-minute venue for her daughter’s 15th birthday party because Gaspar failed to book one. The mother had reportedly paid VIP Eventss more than $4,000.

Investigators with the DA’s office said they discovered Gaspar was hired by at least seven families to organize the details of the traditional birthday celebrations between 2023 and 2024. “In those cases, the victims would be confronted – sometimes on the day of the party – by unpaid vendors that would show up demanding payment from them,” the DA’s office wrote.

Quinceañeras hold deep cultural significant in Mexico and Latin America, representing a teenaged girl’s passage from childhood into womanhood. Families often save up for years or borrow money to host a traditional party with music, dancing, banquets, and photographers.

Torres was still able to plan a smaller quinceañera for her daughter, and she is hoping for restitution for the thousands of dollars she lost. “We want justice, we want him to stop what he’s doing because he’s still doing it,” she said.

Investigators are still looking for additional victims. Anyone with information is urged to contact the District Attorney’s Office Consumer Protection Unit at 408-792-1054 or consumer@dao.sccgov.org.

During his September 25 arraignment, a judge ordered Gaspar to not work as an event planner any future quinceañeras as he awaits trial. He is scheduled to return to court on December 2 in the Hall of Justice.

If convicted, Gaspar could face jail time.