Erik James Altamirano, a 32-year-old San Diego man facing misdemeanor sexual battery charges for a series of incidents where he allegedly groped women, has skirted his court appearance, prompting authorities to initiate the warrant process. According to Times of San Diego, the suspect was due in court Tuesday, but his absence has left the City Attorney’s Office with the task of presenting an affidavit for an arrest warrant within the ensuing 90 days.
Altamirano stands accused of inappropriately touching multiple women in various San Diego neighborhoods, including University Heights, North Park, and Pacific Beach. Over this past summer, the allegations diagram a timeline on June 9, July 9, July 24, and then again on July 28, despite notification of his arraignment; not only was Altamirano absent, but also no attorney appeared to represent him, which NBC 7 reported based on the City Attorney’s insistence about the delivery of his notice.
Voices of unrest resonate through the alleged victims as some, leveraging social media, have shared images of the man identified as Altamirano, in attire typical of a jogger, yet beneath the guise of routine exercise, claims of sexual advances and exposure have surfaced. NBC 7's coverage noted that while Altamirano was originally held on two felony counts of assault with intent to commit rape and a $100,000 bail, these charges have since simmered to four misdemeanor offenses; it was a decision that met with mixed emotions from two victims who in August told NBC 7 of their relief regarding his arrest but with expressed despondence from the downgraded severity of the charges.
As it stands, San Diego's law enforcement awaits a judicial review for probable cause to issue the bench warrant as Altamirano's defiance of the arraignment lingers in the legal balance; "Based on Mr. Altamirano’s release status, the court will require that an affidavit for an arrest warrant be filed by the city attorney’s Office within 90 days," a statement to this effect was sent to NBC 7 by the City Attorney's Office, the same agency actively investigating the matter through its Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes Unit.
