A Santa Ana man accused of sexually assaulting his 15-year-old niece multiple times in 2019 was finally taken into custody after seven years of evading police and his parole officer, when federal border agents flagged him trying to re-enter the country. Alejandro Navarrete Mendoza, now 42, was living with the victim at the time of the alleged assaults and fled his home shortly after the reports surfaced, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
The case dates back to August 2019, when patrol officers investigated a report from the then-15-year-old girl, who said her uncle had sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. An arrest warrant was issued for Mendoza on the alleged sexual offenses, but police could not locate him, and he spent the next seven years on the run from both law enforcement and his parole officer.
The department’s public-facing fugitive campaigns have paid off before — in August, an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy recognized sexual offense suspect Freddie Smith Jr. after the bulletin went out, spotting him on patrol.
Mendoza’s Arrest at the Border
Mendoza’s run ended when he attempted to cross back into the United States at the San Ysidro land port of entry. Federal officials flagged him during the attempted re-entry, and Santa Ana Police Department detectives took custody of him in San Ysidro. A 2002 report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General described INS inspectors at a Norfolk seaport checking ship crew lists against IBIS, which included NCIC data.
Mendoza was arrested and booked into Santa Ana jail. The arrest was handled by the department’s Special Crimes Unit, a multidisciplinary team within the Criminal Investigations Division made up of 15 police personnel, two social workers, and a domestic violence advocate who investigate sexual assault and crimes against vulnerable victims, as Hoodline has previously reported.
Seven-Year Gap Doesn't Void the Charges
Mendoza now faces three charges: kidnapping under Penal Code Section 207(a), assault with intent to commit rape under Section 220(a)(1), and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under Section 288(c)(1). Simple kidnapping alone carries a state prison sentence of three, five, or eight years and is classified as a violent felony under California’s Three Strikes law, according to Eisner Gorin LLP.
The assault-with-intent-to-rape charge is under Section 220(a)(1). The lewd-act charge is under Section 288(c)(1).
A seven-year gap separates the 2019 report and Mendoza’s arrest.
Mendoza’s case stems from a Santa Ana Police Department investigation into alleged offenses, as does a similar case. No further details on sentencing enhancements or additional charges have been released.
