4 Y.O. Girl Left Sleeping in Car Sexually Assaulted, Beaten and Left in Field

**crickett** · December 26th, 2008, 07:49 AM

Uh....WHY should we NOT leave a sleeping child in a car? One more reason.

Local
Girl, 4, found beaten in field outside Fresno
The Associated Press
2008-12-26 05:13:49.0
Current rank: # 158 of 2,955

FRESNO, Calif. -
Authorities say a suspect is in custody for the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl who was taken from a Christmas eve party and found beaten and naked in a nearby field.

Fresno County Sheriff's Lt. Joseph Blohm said the child was sleeping in a car at the outdoor family gathering near Raisin City, a farming community about 12 miles southwest of Fresno, when relatives discovered her missing from the vehicle. They located her in the field walking distance away and notified the sheriff's department about 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

The girl remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Blohm says the person in custody was attending the party and is either a relative or friend of the child's family. He did not disclose the suspect's name.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

**SoUncool** · December 26th, 2008, 10:03 AM

Not only beaten and sexually assaulted, she was buried alive...

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/36736144.html

Witnesses say the missing girl was 4 years old. She was disabled and left inside a van to stay warm because the party was outside.

"When he saw a blanket he also saw the t-shirt of the little girl," said Viterbo.

Viterbo says one searcher found the child in the middle of a vineyard not to far from the location of the party.

"He found the little girl buried in the ground. Only her little legs were sticking out. She wasn't breathing, she was like dead," said Viterbo.

Witnesses say the child regained consciousness while the searcher ran the child to safety in a nearby home. Viterbo and later authorities confirmed the child was sexually assaulted and beaten.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Department says one arrest has been made. The child was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center and is now in stable condition.

**crickett** · December 26th, 2008, 10:12 AM

OMG...I had been looking for an update but hadn't seen this. I'd just like for the pricks name to be published and for him to be slowly and painfully killed. Nothing less
How very horrifying for this innocent little angel. Thank God that they found her while she was still alive. I was wondering why the perp would have let her live as a 4 year old can identify an attacker. Now I see that he had no intention of letting that child live. But to bury her alive? That is even MORE horrifying.
http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/367...?video=pop&t=a

**sableskye** · December 26th, 2008, 12:25 PM

This makes me so sick! No child should EVER have to experience something like this. Thank the powers that be that she was found before it was too late. Sorry ass bastard!!

**Morticia** · December 26th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Ironic how things we had nightmares about as a kid, i.e. the boogie man, are actually very real.

**TheLittleFriend** · December 26th, 2008, 03:25 PM

If I were the parent of this girl, I'm going to stay at home. I'm not gonna leave my kid in car, to enjoy the party or drag my kid with me outside in cold. I'm so glad she is alive. Poor baby.

**nurseronda** · December 26th, 2008, 07:00 PM

Arrest in Christmas Eve abduction of 4-year-old girl.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/oakland...ws/ci_11314818

**Dakota Valkyrie** · December 26th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Authorities say some partygoers in this small community about 17 miles southwest of Fresno began saying prayers while the victim and other children slept in her family's van.

Shortly after the prayers began, the child was discovered missing. She was soon found in an orchard nearby, naked and partially buried. She was taken to a hospital and listed in stable condition.

Originally they made it sound like some wild drunken party. I don't know about you, but my drunkfests rarely include prayer services.

When we went to outdoor parties, children were frequently in cars, trailers, tents napping. I don't mean like backyard barbecues but bonfire in the boonies type events. Of course, they were family events and not things where just anyone would be. The article does not mention the type of outdoor party it was.

This could have as easily happened while the adults where in the living room and a child in a back bedroom... even in their own home.

**Silvahalo** · December 26th, 2008, 08:01 PM

No one noticed with all the noise about and it appears this monster was amongst the people attending the party.
Sick to think he probably shook hands with people, maybe even the mother and made nice like a "normal" person...

So very happy this little girl was found alive...my prayers are with her on a speedy and complete recovery...kisses little one.

**Sister Iroz** · December 26th, 2008, 08:17 PM

She was disabled and left inside a van to stay warm because the party was outside.

I'm sorry but I would never leave my disabled or any child in a vehicle while at a party/gathering regardless if they were outside. I've been to lots of party's/gatherings that were outside but never left my children in the vehicle. Therefore, I partly blame the parents that the FUCKING SUSPECT did this to an innocent child. I'm glad however that she was found and alive.

Dakota I did read where you said this could happen even if the child was inside and your right. When at a gathering you aren't paying attention to what is happening around you so yes it could happen inside the house.

**MISSanthropic** · December 26th, 2008, 08:32 PM

....but what if the child was left inside to nap? and the predator went in to use the bathroom? Just unfortunate all around, I blame only the sick individual who did this.

**nurseronda** · December 26th, 2008, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by MISSanthropic

....but what if the child was left inside to nap? and the predator went in to use the bathroom? Just unfortunate all around, I blame only the sick individual who did this.

Person ID: 7018220 BookingNo: 0854592 Name: GOMEZ-JIMENEZ, JUAN
Date Of Birth: 06/16/1984
Sex: MALE Race: HISPANIC
Age: 24 Hair: BLACK Eyes: BRO Height: 5' 4'' Weight: 175
He is already out on bail.

**tjangel** · December 27th, 2008, 12:22 AM

Looks like he showed up at the hospital she was taken to...bizarre.

Police have taken a man into custody in connection with the abduction and assault of a 4-year-old girl who was find partially buried in a field early Christmas morning. Police say 24-yea-old Juan Gomez-Jimenez showed up at Community Regional Medical Center at the same time the victim was being treated. He claimed he had also been abducted and assaulted, but police say his story did not add up and he was taken into custody.

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/367...?video=YHI&t=a

**Ceffy** · December 27th, 2008, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by Morticia

Ironic how things we had nightmares about as a kid, i.e. the boogie man, are actually very real.

Not ironic at all. Telling, is more like it.

Because I learned all too early that the boogeyman was real, the normal stories about the boogeyman made me have severe nightmares whenever they were mentioned "in good fun".

Stories about the boogeyman were surely began from whispered secrets to a trusted friend. These things don't just come from nowhere.

Your children are a blank slate, don't shit on it. Some people don't even know how to pretend to care.

**Lizard** · December 27th, 2008, 11:36 PM

I'm getting pretty irked that I can't find a pic of this shitbag. I may try to go with a crime scene pic, but if anyone comes across a photo, please post it.

**AussieMum** · December 28th, 2008, 08:27 AM

My daughters are around this young girls age. I can't even begin to imagine the horror this poor princess has suffered.

I pray she recovers quickly physically and can then begin to heal.

I hope to hell that sick fuck gets raped so much in prison he'll need a colostomy bag!!!

**mpratt** · December 28th, 2008, 10:12 AM

He is already out on bail??? WTF??? So you can RAPE, Assault, and bury someone alive, and have the bail set so low, that you are able to go out and do it again... Yep, this is why everything is so fucked up!

**Hellsbells** · February 16th, 2011, 07:14 PM

Farmworker pleads guilty in assault on girl

A 26-year-old farmworker pleaded guilty this morning in Fresno County Superior Court to sexually assaulting a 4-year-old disabled girl and trying to kill her by burying her in a vineyard near Raisin City on Christmas Day 2008.

As part of a plea deal to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison, Juan Gomez-Jimenez pleaded guilty to charges of sexual intercourse with a child under 10 and to attempted murder, said attorney Douglas Foster, who represents Gomez-Jimenez.

Under the plea agreement, Gomez-Jimenez will be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, which makes him eligible for parole in about 25 years, Foster said. He also will have to register as a sex offender for life.
If Gomez-Jimenez had been convicted, he would have served three life sentences, Foster said.

"The evidence against him was overwhelming," Foster said, noting that DNA linked his client to the crime and that Gomez-Jimenez also made incriminating statements.

Gomez-Jimenez will be sentenced March 18.

The victim and her family were attending a Christmas Eve 2008 celebration at a rural home on Cornelia Avenue between Manning and Dinuba avenues, said sheriff's detective Virginia Rodriguez, who testified at the defendant's preliminary hearing in July.

About 75 people attended the celebration, including Gomez-Jimenez, who lived in a labor camp in Caruthers, Rodriguez said.

While the girl and her two brothers -- ages 6 and 2 -- slept in the family van, their parents attended a midnight Mass at the home. After the Mass, the mother went to check on her children and found her daughter missing, Rodriguez testified.

A rescuers with a flashlight later found the girl buried in a vineyard with only one foot sticking out of the ground, Rodriguez testified. A rescuer dug her out and shook her, Rodriguez said.

She then started to breathe.

The girl -- who suffers from a medical condition and cannot talk, walk or eat on her own -- was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Rodriguez said. An exam later revealed that Gomez-Jimenez's semen was on the girl

http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/02/16/...n-assault.html

**Rockin Ma** · February 16th, 2011, 07:17 PM

OH MY GOODNESS! How horrific! I can not believe they found that poor girl alive.

**Mega Ultra** · February 16th, 2011, 07:47 PM

She can't talk, walk or eat on her own??

They're lucky the sick bastard was enough of an idiot to go to the hospital make up some lame-ass story or she would have never been able to identify him.

**badfish76** · February 17th, 2011, 12:54 AM

This is a reason not to trust church people OR to welcome strangers into your church.

I'm going to hell, sue me!

I'm sure that you all get my point in seriousness though. I am sure they felt like since this was a CHURCH party everything was safe.

When you have a kid you can NEVER let your guard down. It is a fine line between protection and insanity but it is a balance you have to find. Not to mention at some point with a healthy child you have to let them test their wings. A child that can't walk, talk or eat needs to be nearby at all times, IMO.

This is a sick and sad situation. I don't think the perp thought this thru very well or he would have realized there was no need to bury her alive.

Did I mention the buried alive stories REALLY, REALLY freak me out and piss me off? Thankfully, the booze is working tonight and I don't quite feel like running, screaming into the night.

**Darsa** · February 17th, 2011, 10:24 AM

Wow, that poor little girl, holy moly. I can't imagine the depth of guilt the parents must feel at this point; they didn't do anything wrong at all, were obviously thinking of the well-being of the children allowing them to sleep when children SHOULD be asleep, and this happens. Just... wow.
Frightens me some to think that this "man" might someday be allowed to walk the streets again.

**kafka** · February 17th, 2011, 10:37 AM

right! Let him out in 25 years. He will be back in the news. I wonder how many little girls he will have killed before he is caught.

**badfish76** · February 17th, 2011, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Darsa

Wow, that poor little girl, holy moly. I can't imagine the depth of guilt the parents must feel at this point; they didn't do anything wrong at all, were obviously thinking of the well-being of the children allowing them to sleep when children SHOULD be asleep, and this happens. Just... wow.
Frightens me some to think that this "man" might someday be allowed to walk the streets again.

Don't get me wrong, I am not dogging you because I see your point here, but I just want to say that the kids should have been HOME in bed. I miss a lot of functions because I have a child who needs to be tucked into her own bed at night where she is safe. It is part of being a parent. Even the ones I do attend, if the kid is ready to go home or if it is bed time we leave early.

I agree that they weren't thinking someone would come snatch the child and they aren't to blame, but why didn't they lock the car? Why didn't they simply say that they would like to stay but needed to get the kid/s home to bed? I think ultimately it was a slightly selfish decision on their part.

**Darsa** · February 17th, 2011, 11:55 AM

Don't worry, you're certainly entitled to your opinion just as much as I am ;) I certainly agree that the kids SHOULD have been in bed at home; however I do feel that the parents did what they thought was best, and at least the mom checked on them (which probably saved the poor girl's life) and as I said, I imagine they probably feel like SHIT in hindsight, and guilty as anything.

I know that since I became a mom I've "missed" a lot of things I might have liked to do; however I would never miss those things as much as I would miss being a parent without my Jen. <3

**Obsolete** · February 17th, 2011, 02:27 PM

Some of my favorite memories as a child was falling asleep aside a bonfire or crawling into the car with my siblings and falling asleep to the sound of the adults laughing and chatting away at a family outing. I was a pretty overprotective parent when my kids were lil, I wouldn't even let my daughter play in our fenced backyard alone and we lived in a very nice neighborhood. My husband always told me that I was too overprotective and I argued that I never wanted to be a parent who ever had to say "I just turned my back for a minute..."

Now that my kids are older I realized my husband was right. I sheltered them from so much that they weren't able to experience some of the wonderful things that made my own childhood so incredible. I don't think the parents in this story are negligent or irresponsible in any way. Kids shouldn't always have to be at home in bed by a certain time every single night...there should be exceptions for celebrations and events like this. Parents shouldn't have to hover over their children every second of the day. They weren't getting drunk and being reckless, they were living their lives and being happy. Evil crossed their path and no one is to blame for that except for the horrible man who commited this crime.

@badfish76 - I understand your point but you're wrong in my opinion. As parents it is our job to protect our children and guide them through life but we shouldn't shelter them from experiencing life in the meantime.

**DSC** · February 17th, 2011, 03:04 PM

Even after all this time, I could not find a photo of Juan Gomez-Jimenez.
I was, however, able to dig up a video and grab a couple screenshots.

**SqueezeBoxx** · February 26th, 2011, 03:46 PM

Obviously they were unattended and surely the vehicle was running as it was Christmas time. MAJOR FAIL! You just don't do that. One of these kids could have knocked it into neutral or some such thing. For someone to get hold of this kid, there is just no excuse. Do I think the parents need to be strung up? NO, everyone makes mistakes. But what a horrible lesson learned!

Surely this asshat was intoxicated, as I'm sure were many of the folks celebrating. Alchohol is truly a gateway drug to not just other drugs but violence, sexual assault etc.. This guy obviously wanted her dead! SICK SICK SICK! I hate these skeevy pedo pervs. I just can't bear to leave my little girls (and I have 3) with anyone aside from a very select few and even then there is always some degree of risk. Theres risk when they are sleeping in their own beds. Of course that's why I have a ferocious beast dog, at least I'd have some warning!

There are plenty of wack-a-doo religions as well as plain vanilla ones, so it has nothing to do with that at all!

**sgr1966** · February 26th, 2011, 04:21 PM

the way some people are blaming the parents...i suppose kids should live in a bubble and never leave their safe houses at all. isnt it warm in california? going to a church party is just living.