Officials investigating incident between man and 12-year-old girl at Hemet donut shop

HEMET — City of Hemet Police officials have confirmed they are searching for a man who reportedly told a 12-year-old Hemet girl he was a child molester before allegedly making a statement to the girl’s mother referring to her young daughter being raped.

The incident, which left the pre-teen afraid to return to the location and left her parents angry and fearful, happened at Pam’s Donut and Ice Cream on the 100 block of Stetson Avenue near State Street in Hemet.

The shocked mother and daughter later reported the disturbing encounter to police, who are now searching for the man so they can question him about the incident.

The encounter happened when the girl went into the donut shop to purchase a bottle of apple juice and chips for her lunch while her mother, Daniella Garcia, waited outside while keeping a close eye on her daughter.

According to Garcia, before speaking to her daughter the man was overheard mumbling to himself and kept looking in her daughter’s direction.

In a Nov. 16 interview with Fox 11 News, the girl, who has not been identified because of her age, said the man told her “that he was a child molester.”

As the man, who has not yet been identified, was leaving the donut shop he reportedly turned to Garcia and said, “You’re daughter’s going to get raped.”

It was not immediately known if the man said anything else to Garcia or if the two had crossed paths before.

Fox 11 later obtained and aired closed-circuit security camera footage of the incident, which showed the man repeatedly looking in the young girl’s direction and then appeared to show a brief interaction between him and the girl before he strides out of the store. (See video below.)

Hemet Police Lieutenant Glen Brock later confirmed that Hemet PD officials were investigating the alleged incident and were working to determine if a crime had been committed as well as the identity of the man and why he made the seemingly bizarre comments.

“There’s obviously a lot that goes in it,” Brock told Fox 11, referring to investigations of this nature.

The unidentified man had blonde hair worn in a ponytail and was wearing a black T-Shirt with a white logo that says “Fallacy” on the front and unknown white writing on the back, blue or dark-colored shorts, dark rimmed glasses, a black hat worn backwards and white sneakers.

It is unsure what, if any, charges the man might face.

Although she used to regularly go into the donut shop by herself as her mother waited outside, Garcia’s daughter was left frightened by the incident, which she said left her feeling “scared.”

When asked about how she felt about returning to the donut shop, the girl replied, “Not that comfortable anymore,” and she admitted the incident taught her not to go anywhere alone again.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone who knows the identity of the man or his whereabouts is encouraged to contact Hemet PD at (951) 769-2000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Fox 11 News video

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.