Detectives say a 30-year-old Redwood City man is now tied to two separate residential assaults on the Peninsula, and prosecutors have formally filed a slate of serious charges.
According to Redwood City police, investigators linked Jose Manuel Gonzalez Cruz to an alleged May attack in San Carlos and another in early July in Redwood City. The San Mateo County district attorney filed charges yesterday, and Gonzalez Cruz was arrested and remains in county custody while detectives keep working the case.
In a press release shared by Redwood City Police, investigators say one incident occurred on May 10 in the 1700 block of Walnut Street in San Carlos, and the second on July 5 in the 400 block of Jackson Avenue in Redwood City. Detectives report they found Gonzalez Cruz on Tuesday on the 400 block of Vera Avenue in Redwood City, and he was booked into the county jail on Wednesday.
Press Release: Investigation Links Suspect to Residential Assaults in Redwood City and San Carlos https://t.co/pXunBletYu
— Redwood City Police (@RedwoodCityPD) July 10, 2026
Where the suspect is being held and who patrols the area
County documents identify the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City as San Mateo County’s primary detention center and intake jail. Records from San Mateo County list Maguire as the local intake facility for people arrested in the area.
San Carlos does not have its own independent police department. Instead, policing is handled by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office through its San Carlos Police Bureau, according to the sheriff’s office.
What the DA has charged
Yesterday's filing includes two counts of Penal Code section 220(b), defined as assault with intent to commit a sexual offense during the commission of a first-degree burglary. Prosecutors also charged indecent exposure under Penal Code section 314(1), peeking or prying while loitering under Penal Code section 647(i), and attempted first-degree burglary under Penal Code sections 664/460(a), according to the police release.
The defendant remains in custody pending arraignment, and Redwood City Police provided the list of alleged offenses along with the timeline of the reported incidents and arrest.
How serious these counts are
Under California law, assault with intent to commit specified sexual offenses during a burglary is treated as a serious felony and can bring substantial prison time if a jury returns a conviction. The state’s model jury instruction, CALCRIM No. 890, published on Justia, spells out the elements prosecutors must prove for an assault-to-commit-sexual-offense charge.
Indecent exposure under Penal Code section 314 can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances and any prior history, according to Justia. Attempted first-degree residential burglary under sections 664/460(a) is prosecuted as a felony with its own sentencing range, while county guidance on burglary further explains how those offenses are classified.
How the public can help
Police are asking anyone who might have information to come forward. The Redwood City Police Department’s non-emergency line is (650) 780-7100, as listed on the city’s police pages. For tips tied to San Carlos or county-level investigations, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line is (650) 363-4911, and the agency also maintains an anonymous tip line. Contact details are available through the Redwood City Police Department and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say the case remains active and they are still following up on leads. Anyone who saw or heard suspicious activity near the listed blocks on Walnut Street, Jackson Avenue, or Vera Avenue around the dates in question is urged to contact authorities so detectives can fill in any remaining gaps in the timeline.
