(KRON) — A 30-year-old man who propositioned a 15-year-old girl for sex while she waited for her parent in the Redwood City courthouse was found guilty of charges Monday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Fidelino Jesus Ruiz, a resident of Redwood City, was convicted of felony child molestation and felony child sexual annoyance with a prior conviction for child molestation.
On July 20, 2023, the victim was at San Mateo County Superior Court accompanied by her parent. The parent went into a sixth-floor courtroom, where children are prohibited from entering, and the teen was left outside the courtroom on a bench, prosecutors said.
Ruiz approached the 15-year-old on the bench and asked her age, to which she answered truthfully, the DA’s office said. He then asked her for sex and to be her boyfriend, according to prosecutors, as he put his arm around her and held her tightly. Ruiz told the child he would take her to Mexico.
The girl pulled away from Ruiz and found her mother. The incident was reported to courthouse security.
Ruiz was located and arrested several blocks from the courthouse.
On Monday, after two hours of jury deliberation, a verdict of guilty to both charges was reached, the DA’s office said. Judge Lisa A. Novak found allegations of a prior felony strike conviction and a prior sexual molestation conviction true.
Sentencing in the case is scheduled for March 27. Ruiz faces up to 6 years in state prison.
(KRON) — A 30-year-old man who propositioned a 15-year-old girl for sex while she waited for her parent in the Redwood City courthouse was found guilty of charges Monday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. Fidelino Jesus Ruiz, a resident of Redwood City, was convicted of felony child molestation and felony child […]
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