LOS ANGELES — Leo Grillo, 77, an actor and animal rescue activist, has been charged with conspiracy to kidnap after allegedly attempting to hire someone to take a former employee to Mexico in order to pressure her in a lawsuit that bankrupted his charity.
According to federal court documents, Grillo allegedly offered to pay up to $100,000 to kidnap Adriana Duarte Valentines — a former employee who had won a $6.7 million judgment against him in a labor discrimination lawsuit.
The complaint states Grillo wanted the woman detained and forced to “cooperate” regarding the lawsuit.
FBI Sets Up Sting Operation
According to prosecutors, the FBI coordinated with the person who allegedly agreed to carry out the plan, setting up a fake kidnapping scenario to gather evidence. Similar to the case of a former director of a San Francisco homeless organization charged with financial misconduct, Grillo allegedly continued directing and transferring money even after being shown staged photos depicting the victim and her husband bound.
Grillo founded the animal rescue organization Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue (DELTA) in 1979 near Los Angeles, once promoted as the largest no-kill rescue center in the United States. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Lawsuit That Led to Bankruptcy
Valentines, a Mexican immigrant, sued DELTA in 2024 alleging she was fired for being pregnant and was required to work without mandated meal breaks under California law. The judgment ordered the organization to pay $6.7 million, a considerable sum similar to the $6 million fraud scheme in Minnesota, which forced DELTA to file for bankruptcy last year.
Valentines’ attorney dismissed online rumors claiming his client was an undocumented immigrant, calling the allegations baseless.
According to prosecutors, Grillo initially used code words when referring to the plan, calling it the production of a “documentary” about the lawsuit. When the plan stalled, he allegedly revealed his true intentions more openly.
Grillo previously produced and starred in the 2006 film “Zyzzyx Rd.”
The case continues to be investigated and processed in federal court, where authorities regularly add additional charges against defendants who engage in dangerous conduct.
