Naked man who stripped off women’s clothing and assaulted girl, 12, arrested near Corona school

CORONA, Calif., — School administrators and law enforcement officials today are crediting a young girl’s quick thinking and decisive actions in helping to keep her from becoming a victim of rape or sexual assault yesterday morning, Wednesday, Oct. 13.

According to witness statements, which have since been confirmed by both Corona PD and Cesar Chavez Academy school administrators, the 12-year-old girl was headed to school when she was approached by a man on a bicycle who was wearing women’s clothing. The suspect reportedly knocked the youth to the ground with his bike, before stripping off all his clothes and ranting – naked – in front of the girl and other shocked students, while making sexually explicit comments. 

The suspect, Carlos Martinez, 41, of Corona, was quickly apprehended and remains in custody on multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and attempted rape of a minor.

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At around 7:15 a.m., a City of Corona police officer was in the 2100 block of W. Ontario Avenue, between Paseo Grande and Border Avenue, when they were flagged down by a concerned citizen who reported seeing a naked man riding a bike in the area, Corona PD later reported.

The location where the man was seen is located directly between two nearby schools, including Cesar Chavez Academy and John Adams Elementary.

Yesterday morning’s bizarre and troubling incident happened on W. Ontario Avenue, located directly between Cesar Chavez Academy and John Adams Elementary.

Officers searched the immediate area and located the naked bike rider, later identified as Martinez, in the area of Paseo Grande and Green River Road/Foothill Parkway.

Officers detained Martinez for further investigation and soon learned that just prior to being flagged down by the concerned citizen, Martinez had assaulted the pre-teen as she was walking to school.

During their subsequent investigation, officers learned Martinez, who had been wearing woman’s clothing, had approached and then assaulted the victim.

“Martinez shoved the student to the ground with his bicycle and removed his clothing, exposing his nude body while making sexual references,” Corona PD has since reported. “The student acted quickly and was able to escape the assault by running to a nearby school bus.”

School administrators later sent out a social media notification to its students and parents explaining the incident and arrest, praising the intended victim for “acting quickly” and escaping the assault.

Administrators went on to explain that the incident happened just as the school’s buses were beginning to arrive for morning pickups and that Martinez was seen riding his bicycle – while completely naked – in full view of nearby students.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Martinez and he was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of assault with deadly weapon other than a firearm and attempted rape. He was also booked on prior charges of DUI and driving without a license from at least one outstanding warrant.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $55,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice tomorrow, Oct. 15.

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“District administration, school staff, including additional counselors, are on campus to support our students,” school administrators explained in their social media notification; adding, “(We) want to thank the Corona Police Department for acting quickly to arrest this individual to ensure the safety of our campus.”

While thanking the concerned citizen who initially flagged the officer down and reported the naked assault, Corona PD said, “This incident demonstrates the importance of the ‘See something, Say something’ campaign’.”

Anyone who may have information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Jason Goudy at (951) 739-4880 or by email. Callers can refer to incident file number 2159999 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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 30 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 18 grandchildren.