Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the death of a registered
sex offender who was found in a home outside Castroville after his
girlfriend reported catching him molesting her 10-year-old daughter
Friday.
By Daniel Lopez, McClatchy News Service
Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the death of a registered sex offender who was found in a home outside Castroville after his girlfriend reported catching him molesting her 10-year-old daughter Friday.
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Mike Richards said it appears the 47-year-old man died of self-inflicted wounds caused by a sharp pointed object. An autopsy is pending.
About 10:30 a.m., the woman called 911 and said she had arrived home and saw her boyfriend molesting her daughter. The woman called police after leaving the house with girl, Richards said.
She indicated the man was threatening to commit suicide.
Deputies responded to the house. After about an hour of trying to make contact, they entered the house and discovered the man dead in the master bathroom.
The man was a registered sex offender who was released from parole in May, Richards said. He had previously been convicted of lewd acts with a child under 14, sexual abuse of a child and indecent exposure, according to the state’s Registered Sex Offender Information Web site.
Richards said it was unclear Friday how long the girl’s mother was involved with the man or if she was aware of his history.
“There is still an ongoing investigation,” he said, and that it was unclear if the girl and her mother were living in the same home as the man.
Deputies said the girl was taken to a Salinas hospital and later released to the custody of her father.
Man assaulted with bat, possibly knife
A Hollister man was assaulted by a group of unknown suspects Friday night at the intersection of Locust Avenue and Buena Vista Road, according to the Hollister Police Department. No serious injuries were reported but the victim reports that the incident may be gang related, police said.
Police said that the victim was walking down the street and when he got to the intersection of Locust Avenue and Buena Vista Road, he was assaulted by anywhere from two to four individuals. The victim said he was assaulted with a baseball bat. He added that there many have been a knife involved.
When police arrived on the scene, officers canvassed the area for witnesses but were unable to locate any.
Police said that the report of the incident did not indicate the seriousness of the injuries sustained from the assault but that they are currently investigating the case.
If you have any information about this incident, you can call the Hollister Police Department at 636-4330. If you would like to remain anonymous, call WeTip at (800) 78-CRIME.
