Girl Scout selling cookies outside Redding Walmart sexually assaulted

February 18, 2019 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Saturday, Feb 23, 12 p.m.

See Original Story below.

REDDING — Officials have released portions of a CCTV Surveillance video that shows the alleged interaction with and sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl as the young victim was selling girl scout cookies outside a Redding Walmart. The video can be viewed below.

Police are asking all area residents to view the footage “in the hopes of identifying the suspect,” said RPD.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to immediately contact Redding Police Corporal Jeff Schmidt at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 19R010435 and can remain anonymous.

Original Story: Girl Scout selling cookies outside Redding Walmart sexually assaulted

REDDING — Reports that a man groped a young girl outside a Redding Walmart kicked off an intense manhunt Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16. Despite an hours-long search that involved multiple law enforcement agencies, a police K-9, and a CHP spotter plane, authorities were unable to locate the alleged suspect.

Officials are now asking for the public’s help identifying and locating a man they allege “inappropriately touched” the 10-year-old Girl Scout, who was selling cookies outside the business when the incident reportedly happened. According to Redding PD, the victim was with several other Girl Scouts and their parents when the alleged incident occurred.

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Redding police officers were dispatched to the business shortly before 1 p.m., after receiving reports of the sexual assault.

During their subsequent investigation, officers learned the victim was selling cookies with other scouts and parents outside Walmart when she was approached by a man she did not know.

“After a very brief interaction, the male inappropriately touched the juvenile female,” Redding PD explained in a social media request for information and potential witnesses. “The male quickly walked off after the incident … and was last seen walking eastbound on Dana from Wal Mart.”

With assistance from CHP and Shasta County Sheriff’s Department, Redding officers immediately fanned out throughout the area and began searching for the alleged suspect, who has been described as a Hispanic male, about 50-60 years old. He was further described as having medium build, with gray hair and beard. He was last seen wearing a gray and black jacket and jeans.

Area resident Barbara Darrow later described seeing “a big manhunt underway” in the area around the Walmart and said she saw officers from different agencies along Dana, Victor, and positioned along the nearby 44 Freeway.

“Just left Walmart on Dana in Redding,” Darrow explained on social media. “Strong RPD presence, CHP presence on Dana and up Victor, and dog handler team searching between Walmart and Victor. CHP fixed wing aircraft searching the immediate area. CHP parked on the shoulder on Hwy 44.”

Although officials conducted an extensive, hours-long search for the alleged suspect, they were not able to locate him.

Redding PD has since been reviewing area CCTV surveillance cameras, searching for any video footage of the alleged incident or the man accused of groping the young victim. Their investigation is ongoing.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.