San Jose quinceañera planner accused of stealing thousands of dollars from families

By Tim Fang

A quinceañera planner based in San Jose has been charged with multiple counts of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from local families who hired him to plan their celebrations, prosecutors said.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office announced Thursday that charges were filed against 51-year-old Juan Martin Gaspar, who is also known as Juan Martin Barcenas.

Gaspar, who ran the company “VIP Eventss” was described by prosecutors as a “well known planner” for the often elaborate celebrations, which in Latin American cultures is a coming-of-age celebration for a girl’s 15th birthday.

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

Gaspar allegedly took what was described as “large fees” from the families and did not pay the vendors, who provided everything from decorated venues to food.

Prosecutors said the investigation into Gaspar began following reports by local news organizations about the business. A victim came forward to the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit and made a complaint.

An investigation by the DA’s Bureau of Investigations found Gaspar was hired by at least seven families to organize quinceañeras between 2023 and 2024. In those cases, the families would be confronted by unpaid vendors demanding payment, sometimes on the day of the party.

Gaspar was arraigned on Sep. 25 and was ordered not to work as an event planner while the case is pending. If convicted, he could face jail time.

Prosecutors said Gaspar is out of custody on $100,000 bail. Gaspar’s next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 2.