Man to stand trial in child abduction case

By NEIL HARTSTEIN

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

A judge has ordered a Santa Barbara man to stand trial on a felony charge that he tried to abduct a 12-year-old girl in Carpinteria last November.

Elias Maldonado, 52, “was held to answer as charged” following his preliminary hearing on Thursday, Deputy District Attorney Hannah Meyer told the News-Press. “The case is on for arraignment on the Information (formerly the complaint) on 4/12/23.”

Whenever defendants are charged with a felony, they are arraigned again after their preliminary hearing to give them a second chance to enter a plea of not guilty or guilty.

Sheriff’s deputies announced Nov. 10 that they had arrested

Mr. Maldonado on suspicion of attempted kidnapping for an incident that occurred two days earlier.

Community Resource Deputy Bryan Dickey was notified Nov. 9 by Carpinteria Middle School staff of a kidnapping incident that had occurred at approximately 4 p.m. Nov. 8 in the 5500 block of Carpinteria Avenue near the entrance to the bicycle path.

Deputy Dickey spoke with the female juvenile reporting party who provided a thorough account of the incident and a suspect description, sheriff’s officials said.

He and patrol deputies conducted a follow-up investigation, identified the suspect as Mr. Maldonado and tracked him to a motel in the 5500 block of Carpinteria Avenue. Deputies also learned that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

At approximately 9:50 a.m. on Nov. 9, Deputy Dickey along with patrol deputies and a Sheriff’s K9 unit contacted Mr. Maldonado at the motel where he was taken into custody after allegedly briefly attempting to flee.

Mr. Maldonado was booked at the Main Jail on suspicion of attempted kidnapping of a child under the age of 14, a felony, and obstructing a peace officer, a misdemeanor, as well as an outstanding warrant for domestic violence and false imprisonment, both felonies.

Prosecutors charged Mr. Maldonado with attempted kidnapping, alleging the defendant, who stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, attempted to abduct the girl either by force or “by any other means of instilling fear,” with the intention of taking her elsewhere. The charge is a serious and/or violent felony. email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Prosecutors also alleged aggravating factors, contending the alleged crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm or other act disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness, and that the victim was particularly vulnerable. They also allege he engaged in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society.

He also is charged with two misdemeanors, one for allegedly annoying or molesting a child under 18, and the other for resisting arrest.

Prosecutors said they intend to introduce evidence of any prior acts of sexual offenses committed by the defendant.