SANTA ANA, Calif. - A registered sex offender in Santa Ana has been charged after police say he exposed himself and chased two teenage girls, then attacked a mother who was with her children.
Moises Hernandez, 30, was charged with one felony count of sexual penetration by force, one felony count of lewd act upon a child, two felony counts of indecent exposure, one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of resisting an officer. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison.
Santa Ana Police Department
On June 4, two 15-year-old girls were walking in Santa Ana when Hernandez stopped his bike and exposed himself, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Parolee arrested, accused of sexually assaulting woman, attempting to kidnap child in Santa Ana parking lot
The girls ran away, but Hernandez chased after them. He even tried to block the girls from running by standing in a doorway of a nearby apartment building. He allegedly groped one of the girls as she ran away from him, the DA's office said in a statement.
About an hour later, Hernandez sexually assaulted a 36-year-old woman who was walking with her 5-year-old daughter and baby in the parking lot of Northgate Market on Bristol St.
Officials say Hernandez attempted to grab the 5-year-old girl by her neck. He rode off on his bike. He was quickly located and arrested by the Santa Ana Police Department.
Hernandez is a parolee and registered sex offender who was previously convicted twice of indecent exposure as well as sexual battery.
"Sexual predators will never stop preying on vulnerable victims for their own twisted pleasures until they are arrested," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.y
"No mother should have to worry about being sexually assaulted in front of her young children while walking down the street in broad daylight and teenage girls shouldn’t have to run from a registered sex offender exposing his male genitalia as he chases them."