MURRIETAÂ – A 51-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting three girls, including one from Lake Elsinore, and escaping to Guatemala, where he was apprehended, was charged today with 16 felony counts of lewd acts with a child who is under 14 years old.
In addition to the 16 charges, Santos Erasmo Garcia faces four felony counts of aggravated sexual assault on a minor with force and two felony counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child, according to court records. He also faces sentence-enhancing allegations of having multiple victims.
Garcia is set to be arraigned Oct. 13 at the Southwest Justice Center. He is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $22.1 million bail.
It’s alleged that, between September 2010 and April 2017, he assaulted three different victims identified in court documents only as “J.H.” “L.R.” and “M.R.” Â A warrant was issued for the suspect’s arrest.
A 12-year-old girl said that Garcia allegedly forced her to have sex with him and sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion, with the first occurrence being when she was eight years old, according to a declaration in support of Garcia’s arrest warrant filed by sheriff department Investigator R. Deanne. In that first occurrence, he allegedly picked her up and threw her onto a bed, got on top of her and kissed her neck, but she screamed and he stopped shortly after.
When the girl turned nine, the defendant allegedly began to touch her chest and private areas, Deanne wrote. He would allegedly pull over to do it whenever she was in the car with him and would tell her that if she wanted a new phone or a ride to a second victim’s home, she would have to “do it.” Â By the time she was 11 or 12 years old, Garcia allegedly began trying to penetrate her and would attempt to make her perform oral sex, according to Deanne. He also allegedly began to have sex with her and the second victim, making each other watch.
The second victim said that her first experience with Garcia was when she was five years old when he allegedly touched her private area over clothing, Deanne wrote. He also allegedly attempted to penetrate her for the first time when she was seven and a few times when she was 10 or 11.
It’s alleged that he also tried to make her perform oral sex on him and began to molest her on a weekly basis.
The last sexual assault on the two victims allegedly happened in March 2017, and in that same year, the first victim contacted the second victim, saying that she was going to disclose what Garcia allegedly did, according to Deanne.
On June 6, 2017, the first victim participated in a forensic interview, the second victim on July 13, 2017, and a third victim on July 19, 2017, Deanne wrote. The only information available about the third victim was that Garcia allegedly touched her chest and private area.
The suspect came under investigation in April 2017 after deputies were alerted to alleged inappropriate acts by him involving a Lake Elsinore girl, whose identity was not disclosed, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jeff Reese.
“Garcia learned about the accusations and fled to Guatemala,” Reese said. Earlier this month, law enforcement personnel in Guatemala, working in concert with federal and local authorities, were able to track down and arrest him without incident. He was extradited back to the U.S., where sheriff’s deputies took him into custody and transported him to the Banning jail.
Garcia has no prior convictions in Riverside County, according to court records.
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