A Hildebran man is being sought by the Burke County Sheriff's Office on charges that include a statutory sex offense with a child aged 15 or younger and taking indecent liberties with a child, and as of Tuesday he has not been located by law enforcement officers. Walter Antonio Hernandez Garcia is the man being sought.
The Burke County Sheriff's Office has a Facebook post about Hernandez Garcia, according to the Burke County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call 828-438-5500 or email [email protected].
What the Charges Carry Under North Carolina Law
North Carolina law includes statutory sex offenses involving children under 13, along with other sex offenses, according to RAINN. Taking indecent liberties with a child, the second charge listed against Hernandez Garcia, is a Class F felony that carries potential active prison terms ranging from 13 to 59 months under the state's structured sentencing guidelines, per the UNC School of Government.
Notably, North Carolina law does not require physical touching to support an indecent liberties charge — non-contact acts such as improper exposure or solicitation intended for sexual arousal can satisfy the statute's elements, per the Patrick Roberts Law Blog.
A Small Town on the Catawba County Line
Hildebran is a small town in eastern Burke County that borders Catawba County along Interstate 40, with an estimated population of 1,691 residents as of 2025, according to Data Commons. That location near the county line underscores the potential for cross-county movement as the search continues. Burke County itself had an estimated population of 88,655 as of July 2025, a 1.2% increase from the 2020 Census, while the county seat of Morganton holds roughly 17,825 residents, per The Paper.
How to Submit a Tip
Residents with information can route tips anonymously through Morganton-Burke Crime Stoppers at (828) 437-3333, where tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.
The case adds to a string of recent additions to Burke County's Most Wanted roster that Hoodline has tracked in recent months, including a Lenoir woman added to the list after missing a court date. For now, Hernandez Garcia's whereabouts remain unknown.
