PALM DESERT: Man, 35, arrested after allegedly molesting foster child
PALM DESERT — Authorities arrested a 35-year-old Cathedral City man Thursday, Mar. 22, after he allegedly molested a Palm Desert youth. One of the man’s charges indicated the young victim is or was a foster child at the time of the reported molestation.
Authorities arrested Ismael Gaspar, 35, of Cathedral City after he allegedly molested a foster child. RSO booking photo
After an investigation, officials arrested Ismael Gaspar and he was later booked into Indio Jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14, oral copulation with a minor and sexual penetration by force.
The investigation began after deputies assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Palm Desert Police Station were dispatched to investigate reports of a past molestation.
The incident(s) reportedly happened on the 36500 block of Monterey Avenue in Palm Desert, Riverside County Sheriff’s Sergeant David Wright explained after Gaspar’s arrest.
Palm Station PD investigators assumed the investigation and identified Gaspar as the alleged suspect. Investigators located and arrested Gaspar in the area of 30th Avenue and Landau Boulevard in Cathedral City.
An online jail records search revealed Gaspar remains in custody, held on $55,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Indio’s Larson Justice Center, Mar. 29.
Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Investigator Chad Martin with the Palm Desert Police Department at (760) 836-1600 or call anonymously at (760) 341-STOP (7867). Callers can refer to incident file number T180810132 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and 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.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.