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 said he
abducted her near Dunne Park on Wednesday afternoon and later
molested her at his home.
After further investigation, however, police concluded Juan
Valdovinos did not kidnap the girl, as she originally claimed.
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 said he abducted her near Dunne Park on Wednesday afternoon and later molested her at his home.
After further investigation, however, police concluded Juan Valdovinos did not kidnap the girl, as she originally claimed.
Police ruled out kidnapping as a possibility because the 14-year-old girl’s statements were contradictory. Police concluded Valdovinos didn’t force her into his vehicle.
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, Green said. 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.
“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 Dispatch 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 on his own recognizance. The district attorney’s office Friday did charge Valdovinos with committing a lewd act.
If convicted of the charge, 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 would have been 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 mute 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 and took her back to his house.
Hollister police officers were dispatched – because the alleged kidnapping occurred in the city – and arrested the suspect.
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 sheriff’s jurisdiction.
Staff writer Christine Tognetti and City Editor Marcus Hibdon contributed to this report.
