A 23-year-old Murrieta parolee already wanted in connection with an alleged July sexual assault of a teenage girl was taken into custody this week after officers found him with a second, previously unidentified juvenile female in his vehicle. Detectives say he had allegedly had sexual contact with that second girl shortly before officers arrived.
The case began on September 2, when the Murrieta Police Department received a report that the man, identified as Reece Thomas Kennedy, had sexually assaulted a juvenile female in July 2026, according to Valley News. Police have not provided the exact circumstances of that initial reported assault. Detectives investigated the allegations and obtained an arrest warrant for Kennedy, but were unable to locate him at the time.
Second Girl Found During Arrest
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, officers found Kennedy in his vehicle, parked along a roadway in an unincorporated area of Riverside County near Murrieta, the outlet reported. Officers located the vehicle near Auld and Maddalena roads in French Valley, where they discovered him with a second juvenile female who had not previously been identified in the investigation. Kennedy was taken into custody without incident, according to MyNewsLA.
Detectives determined that Kennedy allegedly had sexual contact with the second juvenile shortly before officers arrived, per the Valley News report. That girl was safely reunited with her parent. Detectives also learned that the second juvenile had allegedly also been assaulted, according to police spokesperson Jeremy Durrant, who said both victims were safe at home and had each met Kennedy through social media.
Nearly a Dozen Felony Counts
MyNewsLA reported that Kennedy was charged with nearly a dozen felony counts stemming from the two cases. The charges reportedly include two counts each of forcible rape of a minor, oral copulation of an intoxicated victim, lewd acts on a child, and contacting a minor with criminal intent, along with one count each of unlawful intercourse of a child and furnishing marijuana to an underage person, the outlet's report states. Prosecutors alleged Kennedy committed the crimes while on parole.
Kennedy was held in lieu of $1 million bail at Byrd Detention Center, per the same account. Court records cited by the outlet indicate Kennedy has a prior conviction for statutory rape. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
The investigation into Kennedy began several months before his arrest this week. Readers seeking to follow the case's progress through the courts can search Riverside County case records through the Riverside Superior Court online portal, which requires creating an account and notes that available information is limited under specific California Rules of Court. The outcome of Friday's scheduled appearance and the status of any plea had not been reported as of publication. The charges against Kennedy are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
