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19-year old arrested for kidnap attempt

Published: Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 10:57 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 11:01 a.m.

A 19-year-old man is in custody at the Sonoma County Jail, suspected of trying to force a Windsor girl into his car after following her as she walked home along Old Redwood Highway, authorities said.

Gerardo Cruz-Pacheco, of Windsor, was arrested shortly after the teen-age girl and her family reported the incident to authorities Thursday evening, police said.

Police Sgt. Rob Gordon said Cruz-Pacheco had attempted on previous occasions to engage the girl in conversation but that she did not otherwise know him.

On Thursday evening, he pulled up alongside her as she walked home on Old Redwood Highway, keeping pace with her and trying to persuade her to get in the car, Gordon said.

She finally went into a Berry’s Market to get away from him, but he parked his car and followed her inside, Gordon said.

When she exited he grabbed her by the backpack she was wearing and tried to get her to come with him, Gordon said.

The girl struggled and got away, running the rest of the way to her Old Redwood Highway home, where a family member saw the man following and harassing her, Gordon said.

Authorities, armed with a description of his car, quickly found him driving nearby, and the girl and her relative identified him as the suspect, authorities said.

Gordon urged parents to instruct their children to seek a public, populated place, like a business, from which they can call police if they should find themselves in such as situation.

“Usually we’re less than a minute or so away anywhere in the town of Windsor,” he said.

Cruz-Pacheco was arrested for suspicion of stalking, attempted kidnapping, molesting a child and driving with a suspended license.

He remained in the Sonoma County Jail on Saturday morning, with bail of $50,000, jail personnel said.

He is due in court Monday morning.


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  1. trb says...
    October 4, 2008 11:34:58 am

    RE: Link
    and to think that there are people out there that think mexicans are good for this country...hmmmm

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  2. uncle10@comcast.net says...
    October 4, 2008 11:47:19 am

    I'm not sure where your info came from but I wasn't able to glean from the article that this man was Mexican. Actually it says he is from Windsor, and the fact that he has a "suspended" drivers license indicates a likelyhood of being if not a citizen then at the very least a legal resident.
    Please try not to fan the flames of racism.
    He is not an undesirable by virtue of his name, rather he is by virtue of his actions.

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  3. bummerdude says...
    October 4, 2008 12:10:25 pm

    Sorry to tell you the naked truth, Uncle, but he IS an undesirable by virtue of his name. Ha ha

    Hey, godumb4ya, get ready to roll......

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  4. uncle10@comcast.net says...
    October 4, 2008 12:13:22 pm

    What can I say...small minds think alike

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  5. curmar1 says...
    October 4, 2008 12:18:30 pm

    .I normaly dont agree with other posters because lets face it I'M CURMAR1! but in this case I will degrade myself by agreeing with uncle.

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  6. ocliflex1234 says...
    October 4, 2008 1:16:33 pm

    Is the suspect an anchor baby? Is he illegal? We will never know because the local newspaper (Press Democrap) has proven time and again they will hide this information to keep the public in the dark. Here again if the suspect is illegal, this attack has more to do with illegal immigration that with kidnapping, rape and the subsequent death of the victim after the assult was commited. Luckily the victim (who is likely an American citizen) was able to get away and possibly save her life. Thanks Press Democrap for not reporting on the facts that are pertinent in this case and not taking a proactive approach to protect the lives of the readers of your rag.

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  7. Dry_Back says...
    October 4, 2008 1:35:22 pm

    Below is a link to the Sonoma County Sheriff's website. Scroll down and look at the 15 most wanted. 13 out of 15 are Mexicans. Many are wanted for sex crimes against children.

    Stop the political correctness B.S. and WAKE UP!
    Link: Sonoma County Sheriff

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  8. mreiman says...
    October 4, 2008 2:13:25 pm

    Let try this here then. Home work

    Do people, anywhere in the world,have a right to enter the United States irrespective of our laws pertaining to immigration? Unless one wishes to obfuscate, there's a simple "YES" or "NO" answer to that question. If a "YES" answer is given, then why should there be any immigration requirements, such as visas, passports and green cards, for anyone who wishes to visit or reside in our country? Why not abolish the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services?

    If your answer is a "NO" one does not have the right to enter the United States irrespective of our laws, what does that person who does so? Most often we call a person whose behavior violates a law a criminal. If people commit criminal acts, should there be an effort to apprehend and punish them.

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  9. sebastao says...
    October 4, 2008 3:24:05 pm

    NaCosta the megans website are the ones they have caught and done their time (registered) the Sheriff website are the ones that are hiding out or have slithered back over the border.
    Amazing what the ariticle said she was in a public place a store I guess she did not want to speak up!
    There is wayyy to much of this going on here time to be doing some cleanup.
    The district attorney's office needs to come down hard on these creeps , maybe if the a c l u stood out of things we could get back to the old fasion way like chain gangs busting up rock etc.

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