A 35-year-old Kern County resident accused of breaking into a Culver City home last month and raping a 12-year-old girl could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted, the Los County District Court said. Angels. Lawyer. George Gascón said Tuesday.
Marcos Maldonado was charged with two counts of forcible rape of a child, two counts of sexual penetration of a child and one count of sodomy in connection with the Dec. 2 attack, according to a criminal complaint.
He has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court next month.
Culver City Police Chief Jason Sims said the attack was random and that Maldonado entered through an unlocked sliding door. He entered a room where the young victim was sleeping and assaulted her for several hours before leaving the house at 7 a.m., Gascón said. Before leaving, Maldonado told the victim that “his friend was outside with a gun and that he would kill his family if he told anyone what happened,” Sims said.
Authorities said Maldonado was arrested this month when he was pulled off a Bakersfield-bound bus on the 5 Freeway.
It was not immediately clear who his defense attorney is. He is being held on $1.8 million bail, and Gascón said prosecutors are expected to ask a judge to order Maldonado held without bail before his next court hearing.
Authorities are searching for additional victims whom Maldonado may have attacked, but as of Tuesday they had no information about any other attacks.
Gascón also announced charges Tuesday against Martin Lopez, 55, a Long Beach resident who allegedly posed as a police officer and assaulted a woman late last month. Lopez is charged with attempted kidnapping, sexual assault and robbery, records show.
