Police have busted another man suspected of using the Internet
to contact under-age girls and arrange to meet them for sex, and
they believe he may have already been in contact with women or
girls in this area.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – Police have busted another man suspected of using the Internet to contact under-age girls and arrange to meet them for sex, and they believe he may have already been in contact with women or girls in this area.
Renato Rashidally, 26, of San Jose, was arrested Wednesday morning at 11:36am on suspicion of attempted lewd acts with a child and attempting to send lewd content to a child, both felonies. The “lewd content” Rashidally is suspected of trying to send to a child stems from the graphic nature of the chats, police said.
Rashidally is the third man to be arrested in Gilroy after contacting through e-mail and online chats a Gilroy police detective masquerading as a 12-year-old girl.
Using his work computer, Rashidally first contacted Detective Mitch Madruga, who had an Internet profile describing himself as a girl who lives in Gilroy, on July 12, Madruga said. Rashidally worked in Gilroy, Madruga said. After four or five online chats with Madruga, posing as the girl, Rashidally agreed to pick the “girl” up at Del Rey Park, 9001 Calle Del Rey Drive, to have sex with her.
When Rashidally showed up for the rendezvous Wednesday morning, he was driving a car GPD officers knew to be his. Rashidally had told the “girl” the make and model of the hybrid car. Police had identified the car, which was actually a rental, a couple days ago, Madruga said. Officers arrested him when he arrived at the park.
Rashidally was transported to Santa Clara County jail in San Jose and remained in custody without bail Wednesday night.
Based on what Rashidally said during chats, police are asking anyone who has had contact with him – using the screen name “drgnstyle” – to call them.
“He says he’s had contact with at least 50 people in the last several years, some from the Gilroy area,” Madruga said. “If there is anybody who has had contact with him, specifically any juveniles, I’d like to know about them.”
Rashidally said he went out with a Gilroy woman in her 20s last week and had a date with a woman in her 40s planned for next week, Madruga said.
Police were waiting for a search warrant Wednesday evening to seize Rashidally’s work computer. He did not use a home computer for any of the communication, Madruga said.
Anyone who has had contact with the Yahoo! screen name may contact the Gilroy Police Department at 846-0350.
