Graphic testimony was given by a detective with the Fresno Police Department on day two of a pretrial at the Fresno County Courthouse. 26-year-old Gregory Gonzalez is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting an eight year old girl. It happened in October of 2010. The victim was heroically saved by a good samaritan.
21 months ago, a community celebrated a happy ending to a horrific story. An eight-year-old girl, kidnapped from her central Fresno front yard, is saved by a man who was in the right place at the right time. Friday, Gonzalez waited to hear whether he'll stand trial, a detective recounts what the victim said happened to her the night she was abducted.
“They took off and drove a long time. He pushed her head down in the truck,” said Detective Tish Hughes of the Fresno Police Department.
While over 200 officers searched for an old Chevy truck, the victim told the detective that the suspect drove out to the woods. Once they stopped, he took off his own clothes and the victim's pants and underwear. He then threw her pants out of the window.
“[The victim] said that he kissed her on the lips… She said she could smell beer and I asked her if she felt anything in her mouth and she said it tasted like throw up,” said Hughes.
The victim also apparently said the suspect raped her and called her swear words. The pretrial ended after a day and a half of testimony from over a dozen officers. Defense attorney James Lambe said only this about the case:
“[Gonzalez] is facing a sentence of life without the possibility of parole as currently charged. That's a very tough place for a client and defense attorney to be,” said Lambe.
The suspect will be back in court on July 23.
