A 20-year-old Tracy man is in custody after police say he spent months approaching women from behind while they jogged and groping them, in a series of assaults that began in late April. Tracy police identified Edgar Avalos as the primary suspect and say he admitted to the reported crimes after detectives tracked down his home and the general area where he had been operating.
According to CBS Sacramento, the Tracy Police Department's General Investigations Unit opened its inquiry in late April after reports started coming in describing a man who approached female joggers from behind, groped them, and then fled the area. Investigators say victims described similarities in how the assaults unfolded, which helped detectives piece together a pattern across the incidents reported through August.
How Detectives Traced the Suspect
Detectives worked backward from victim interviews to figure out where the suspect lived and the routes he likely used to target joggers, per the same account. That canvassing effort eventually led investigators to Avalos, who police say was contacted at his home before being identified as the primary suspect. He was then booked into jail on charges connected to the string of incidents.
Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington said in a statement that officers take the reports seriously and are committed to thoroughly investigating them and holding those responsible accountable. Millington, who was sworn in as the department's 26th police chief in February 2020 after serving as an Oakland Police Department captain, became the first African American police chief in Tracy's history, according to the Tracy Police Department.
Police Want to Hear From More Possible Victims
The department is now urging anyone who may have experienced similar behavior in the area to come forward, and Millington has specifically asked that additional individuals who experienced unverified groping or suspicious encounters contact investigators. That appeal suggests police suspect there could be victims who haven't yet reported what happened to them.
Once booked, Avalos would be processed and housed at the San Joaquin County Jail complex in French Camp, a facility with roughly 1,550 inmate beds located about 20 miles northeast of Tracy. Whether formal sexual battery charges move forward now rests with San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas, whose office maintains dedicated special victim units to review cases like this one before filing in San Joaquin County Superior Court.
What Avalos Could Face Under State Law
Under California Penal Code Section 243.4, non-consensual touching of intimate parts for sexual arousal or gratification is classified as a wobbler, meaning prosecutors can charge it as either a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail or a felony punishable by up to four years in state prison. A conviction under that statute can also carry a discretionary or mandatory requirement to register as a sex offender under Penal Code Section 290, a designation that comes with ongoing check-ins with law enforcement long after any jail time ends.
The case unfolds in a city that has changed rapidly in recent years. U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in May 2025 showed Tracy had surpassed 100,000 residents, making it the second-largest municipality in San Joaquin County. That growth has brought more people onto the city's outdoor paths, even as the Tracy Police Department patrols the 26-square-mile city with a force of 109 sworn officers and 63 professional support staff.
Tracy's case echoes a pattern that has surfaced elsewhere in California this year. In April, a series of trail assaults targeting joggers along the Silver Lake Reservoir loop in Los Angeles prompted heightened safety concerns among runners in that community. As in Tracy, those incidents pushed local residents toward buddy systems and renewed caution on public paths.
