Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Sex Crimes Unit have arrested 32 year old Carmelo Vasquez of Fresno.
He has been booked into the Fresno County Jail for rape and several other sexual assault charges. His total bail is set at $195,000.
On Monday, parents of a 12 year old girl contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office to report their daughter was missing. They said she was home Sunday night, but when they woke up in the morning she was gone.
Shortly before 6:00 am on Monday, the girl returned home. She explained to family members that she had snuck out of the house around 1:00 am and left with a man who had picked her up in his vehicle. The man, later identified as 32 year old Carmelo Vasquez, took her to his home and raped her. He later dropped her off at her house and drove away. The girl’s family called the Sheriff’s Office to report she was back home and explained the details of this sexual assault.
A deputy responded to the victim’s home and discovered the 12 year old had met Vasquez online about two months ago. She communicated with him through the social media apps “Snapchat” and “Meet Me.” The two met in person for the first time approximately two weeks ago. They continued to stay in contact by phone until meeting again on Monday. Once deputies learned of Vasquez’ name, they were able to locate and arrest him.
There is a possibility Vasquez has victimized others. If you feel you are a potential victim or if you have additional information about Carmelo Vasquez that could help the investigation, please contact Detective Justin Williamson at (559) 600-8216.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind parents and guardians to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring children who visit websites and use social media apps. You can educate and build trust with your child through having open dialogue. It is not uncommon for online predators to pretend to be someone else in order to lure their victims in and take advantage of them. Teach children to be wary of the person on the other end of the chat line; many times people are not who they say they are. Report any suspicious behavior right away to law enforcement.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that resources are available to the victims of sexual assault. Rape Counseling Service (RCS Fresno) www.rcsfresno.org has advocates and therapeutic services available to victims. A 24 hour crisis line is also available at (559) 222-7273.
