Oxnard Teen Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Girl As She Slept Linked To 2 More Burglaries
OXNARD (CBSLA.com) — An Oxnard teen who was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a young girl as she slept in her bed has been linked to at least two other assaults, police said Tuesday.
Luis Contreras, 18, was arrested Sept. 2 on suspicion of breaking into two homes in south Oxnard and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl who was sleeping in her bedroom, alongside her 6-year-old brother.
Investigators now believe that Contreras committed two more burglaries earlier this year, according to Oxnard police Commander Eric Sonstegard.
The first break-in happened March 18 at about 3:25 a.m. Detectives say Contreras got into a mobile home in the 2400 block of East Pleasant Valley Road by cutting a screen and entering an open window. Once inside, Contreras allegedly put a rag over an 8-year-old girl's mouth, but she woke up and screamed for her parents. Contreras fled out the open bedroom window, Sonstegard said, and the girl was not injured.
On July 1, police were called to a home in the 400 block of Dollie Street at about 2:45 a.m. on the report of a hot prowl burglary in progress. Detectives believe Contreras climbed through an open bedroom window and put his hand over the mouth of an 11-year-old girl who was sleeping in her bedroom, Sonstegard said. The girl was able to alert her father, who chased Contreras away, police said.
Prosecutors have filed additional charges against Contreras, who pleaded not guilty last Thursday to four counts of burglary, one count of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14 and one count of burglary with intent to commit a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14.
Contreras is being held on $300,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 15. If charged as convicted, Contreras faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Investigators are still investigating these cases along with other similar incidents that have happened in south Oxnard over the past year. Anyone with information about Contreras or a similar crime can call Oxnard police at (805) 385-3921.
