A 35-year-old Hollister man was arrested on suspicion of
committing a lewd act with a minor after a 14-year-old girl alleged
he abducted her near Dunne Park on Wednesday afternoon and later
molested her at his home.
After further investigation, however, police concluded Juan
Valdovinos didn’t kidnap the girl, as she originally claimed.
Police do suspect he committed a lewd act with the girl, which
would mean some kind of sexual encounter occurred between them.
Police
Hollister – A 35-year-old Hollister man was arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act with a minor after a 14-year-old girl alleged he abducted her near Dunne Park on Wednesday afternoon and later molested her at his home.
After further investigation, however, police concluded Juan Valdovinos didn’t kidnap the girl, as she originally claimed. Police do suspect he committed a lewd act with the girl, which would mean some kind of sexual encounter occurred between them.
Police ruled out kidnapping as a possibility because statements from the 14-year-old girl were contradictory. Police concluded Valdovinos didn’t force her into his vehicle, which counters her original statement that he kidnapped her.
The inconsistencies in her statements “absolutely” could affect prosecutors’ chances for an eventual conviction, according to sheriff’s Detective Chris Green.
The 14-year-old initiated
contact by calling Valdovinos for a ride, according to Green. He didn’t know where the girl was coming from when Valdovinos picked her up, or where she was planning to go. Green declined to disclose what school she attends, though he did say she doesn’t go to San Benito High School.
She knew the suspect “through a friend,” Green said. And authorities don’t believe Valdovinos forced her into his vehicle before taking her to his Bridgevale Road home, where they suspect he did commit a lewd act.
“Detectives investigated the case further and determined there was insufficient evidence to sustain a charge of kidnapping,” said Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller.
Police are withholding her name because she’s a minor and possibly the victim of a sexual crime. The Free Lance also doesn’t publish names of victims who are minors or those alleging to be victims of sexual crimes.
After police concluded Valdovinos wouldn’t be charged with kidnapping, a bail initially set at $100,000 was dropped, and authorities released him under his own recognizance. Investigators’ recommendation for a lewd act charge stands, though.
If convicted of committing a lewd act, Valdovinos could be sentenced to one, two, or three years in state prison or one year in county jail.
At this point, authorities don’t know whether Valdovinos used force on the girl. Either way, Valdovinos likely would be charged with a lewd act, as the evidence indicates the interaction didn’t reach the level of being considered rape, Green said.
“We honestly don’t know the answer to that,” Green said when asked if Valdovinos used force. “It’s a moot point for us.”
The 14-year-old arrived at the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday at 3:55pm and reported Valdovinos kidnapped her before taking her back to his house. Hollister police officers were dispatched and arrested the suspect. Police took over at the time because the alleged kidnapping occurred in the city, where the HPD has jurisdiction.
After handling the case for less than two hours, the Hollister Police Department handed it over to the Sheriff’s Department. Although the alleged abduction occurred in the police department’s jurisdiction, the location of the alleged attack is in the sheriff’s jurisdiction.
Because the 14-year-old Hollister girl knew the suspect from prior contact, she could provide his first name, his description and his address, police said.
Staff writer Christine Tognetti and City Editor Marcus Hibdon contributed to this report.
Kollin Kosmicki covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach him at 637-5566, ext. 331, or [email protected].
