Over three days, Gilroy police arrested three men suspected in
separate molestation cases, according to the Gilroy Police
Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department.
Over three days, Gilroy police arrested three men suspected in separate molestation cases, according to the Gilroy Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department.
None of the incidents are related, GPD Officer Amanda Stanford said.
Police on Saturday night arrested a Watsonville man suspected of molesting his two step-grandchildren, according to a Monterey County Sheriff’s Department press release.
Officers from the Gilroy Police Department arrested Arthur Valdez, 56, at 6:57 p.m. before turning him over to Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies.
Valdez is a suspect in the molestation of his two step-grandchildren, ages 9 and 11, according to the Monterey County’ Sheriff’s Department. He was questioned by police and arrested Saturday, then booked into the Monterey County Jail on numerous counts related to child molestation, which occurred “over a period time,” according to a press release.
Valdez’s bail was set at $2.35 million, according to Monterey County Sheriff’s Commander Mike Richards.
Richards said the bail was set so high because Valdez was facing “multiple charges.”
Police made two other arrests, including one just two hours before apprehending Valdez. The GPD arrested Luciano Ponce-Escutia, 28, at 4:15 p.m. Saturday in the 17000 block of Monterey Road on suspicion of lewd or lascivious acts on a child, Stanford said.
She said he was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose and remains in custody on $100,000 bail.
Police also arrested Norberto Gonzales, 42, on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts on a child at 11:42 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Del Rio Circle and Santa Fe Drive in Gilroy and booked him at 4:05 a.m. Friday into the main Santa Clara County jail on $50,000 bail but was out of custody as of Monday afternoon.
