Nestor Alexis Aguirre Chavez, 20, of Wilmington was arrested last week following an investigation by the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force.

Along with the trafficking count, Chavez is charged with pimping, pandering, contacting a minor for the purpose of perpetrating a sex crime and a sentence-enhancing allegation of inducing a minor to engage in criminal activity.

He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment before Superior Court Judge Judith Clark, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Dec. 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Chavez is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

According to Investigator Joseph Riddle of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, on Nov. 23, deputies were alerted that a 15-year-old girl was missing from her residence near Temecula.

The matter was referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, which initiated an investigation that determined the victim was in Long Beach, where Chavez had allegedly put her to work as a prostitute after sexually assaulting her, Riddle said.

The defendant and victim, whose identity was not disclosed, had apparently met via social media.

The girl was found and taken to a hospital for treatment, after which she was placed in protective custody.

A search warrant was served on Chavez at his residence on East Rubidoux Street, where he was taken into custody without incident Friday.

Riddle said the case highlights how “predators … utilize social media platforms frequented by children and young adults to prey on their emotional and circumstantial vulnerabilities.”

“Parents are reminded to be vigilant and monitor the social media platforms used by their children,” the sergeant said.

Chavez has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

The post 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Of Temecula Teen appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as George Fresquez IV, 35, of Temecula.

Alex Leyva, 39, of Vista, was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of murder in the case of Fresquez’s death, according to authorities.

A deputy on patrol at 11:50 p.m. Saturday found Fresquez unresponsive on Pechanga Parkway near Wolf Valley Road, with injuries consistent with having been hit by a vehicle, authorities said, adding Fresquez died at the scene.

He had been assaulted in the road, left unresponsive and then struck by a southbound vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.

Leyva was identified as Fresquez’s initial assailant, and the driver who hit Fresquez cooperated with the investigation and was released, authorities said, adding alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the crash.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call investigators at 951-955-2777 or 951-696-3000, according to authorities.

The post Temecula Man Attacked, Run Over; Assailant Booked On Murder Charge appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Terrance Marquis Sherman, 25, of Temecula was arrested in the predawn hours Sunday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the alleged attack in the 27000 block of Jefferson Avenue, just west of Interstate 15.

Along with attempted murder, Sherman is charged with two counts of firearm assault and one count of being a felon in possession of a loaded gun, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Mattson, shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, Sherman and two men, whose identities were not disclosed, were involved in an unspecified physical altercation in the parking lot along Jefferson.

After the encounter, the defendant got into his car, and as he was driving away, opened fire with a pistol, hitting both victims, Mattson alleged.

He said witnesses called 911 and patrol deputies converged on the location minutes later, locating the two men with gunshot wounds. They were taken to a regional trauma center for treatment and are expected to fully recover.

The sergeant said deputies quickly found Sherman parked nearby and took him into custody without incident.

Court records show the defendant has prior felony convictions in another jurisdiction for which he served time in state prison. However, the offenses weren’t listed.

The post Felon Charged With Shooting Men After Fight Outside Temecula Business appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.