Man Arrested for Lewd Acts

There could be a small family reunion in the Santa Clara County
Jail as Luis Cruz, 20, joined his parents there early Friday
morning after officers arrested him on suspicion of committing lewd
or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14.
Morgan Hill – There could be a small family reunion in the Santa Clara County Jail as Luis Cruz, 20, joined his parents there early Friday morning after officers arrested him on suspicion of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14.

The latest Cruz family arrest was not related to the Tuesday morning arrest of his parents and tenant on drug and weapons charges at the north their Morgan Hill home, but was a separate incident which began Thursday afternoon.

Officers were investigating what was initially reported as a kidnapping. The situation turned out to be something quite different, according to Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing.

An 11-year-old Gilroy girl went into a Taco Bell restaurant and reported she had been kidnapped and had escaped from her kidnappers. As officers interviewed her, they were puzzled by her demeanor, which seemed unusual for a kidnap victim.

“She appeared outwardly calm, not crying, not upset, not what we would expect from an 11-year-old that had escaped from kidnappers,” he said.

Officers continued to investigate the situation back at the police station, talking more with the girl and with friends and family members. She’d been reported as a runaway, and officers said they began to see the real picture.

Swing said the girl allegedly met Cruz at a party at his house over the weekend. 

“They had talked on the telephone,” Swing said, “and he apparently brought her to his house consensually.”

The girl denied having sex with Cruz, he said, but tests were conducted to determine if she’s telling the truth, police said. She did admit to making out with Cruz and hickeys were found on her throat and upper chest, according to Swing.

Cruz was arrested about midnight, without incident, after officers found him sleeping in his car outside his parent’s residence, Swing said. 

Officers then searched the house, looking for evidence the girl was in the home. Swing said he could not comment at this time on evidence found at the home.

Cruz’s parents, Bonifacio and Laura Cruz, were arrested Tuesday morning after their home was searched by Morgan Hill police officers and members of the Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team (UNET). 

Drugs, guns and a large amount of cash were found, and the couple and tenant Victorino Morales, 38, were arrested on drug-related charges.

Luis Cruz and his two brothers were not arrested in that incident. A 15-year-old was taken into protective custody; 18-year-old Eusebio Cruz was released pending further investigations.