Man, 36, arraigned on charges he sexually assaulted Gilroy
girl
n By Rachelle Gines Staff Writer
San Martin – A 36-year-old Gilroy man was arraigned Thursday on charges he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in south Gilroy late last month.
Through an interpreter, Rogelio Ruiz asked for an attorney, but did not enter a plea in the case.
Clad in handcuffs and brown jail garb, Ruiz stood in the San Martin Courthouse as Superior Court Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley denied bail, originally set at $275,000.
Guerrero-Daley granted Ruiz an attorney and set his next court date July 14 at 9am.
Ruiz was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a child, one count of entering a residence with the intent to commit sexual assault, one charge of forced oral copulation, and one count of penetration with a foreign object.
Deputy District Attorney Patrick Vanier said the charges are serious and that Ruiz may flee if not imprisoned.
“My understanding is that he’s a transient, and has only been in the state for a month,” Vanier told Guerrero-Daley.
“We believe that if he’s released, he may not return to court,” he said after the hearing.
The Sheriff’s office said authorities responded to a 911 hang-up call on the evening of June 30 at an unincorporated Gilroy address. When deputies arrived, a male acquaintance of the girl said the child had possibly been attacked in her home.
Though Deputy Serg Palanov said it is unclear how the acquaintance learned of the incident, he may have spoken with the girl after the alleged attack took place, then called for help.
If convicted on all charges, Ruiz faces at least 80 years in prison, Palanov said.
Rachelle Gines is an intern attending San Francisco State University. Reach her at 847-7158 or rg****@************ch.com. Staff Writer Brian Babcock contributed to this story.
