Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The ex seasonal coach accused of attempting to solicit sex with what turned out to be an undercover private investigator walked free June 24 after his case was rejected. Stephen Cristopher Garcia, 34, was released and his arrest was converted into a detention only. The code in Los Angeles County booking records states “DA REJECT PER 849.5PC A DETENTION ONLY.” Garcia was freed at 2:36 p.m. With it being Saturday, June 29, it may not be clear until Monday as to the precise reasons why the case was rejected. It is unclear if this is a done deal, or if investigators are being given time to collect and present more evidence to resubmit the case. Covina Police detectives were called to Superior Grocers, 1375 N. Citrus Ave., at 4:45 p.m. June 20 about a man intending to meet a 14-year-old boy for a sexual encounter … except that teen does not exist: the whole ordeal was a sting, according to the Covina Police Department. Garcia, 34, was contacted by Creep Catching Unit, a private group started to expose online predators, with the use of a fake social media profile. A meeting was arranged through text messaging and, upon contact, the encounter was streamed live on YouTube, according to the Covina Police Department. The case’s rejection is even more puzzling, considering that the live YouTube broadcast from CC Unit has Garcia stating multiple times that he intended to meet a teen boy for sexual purposes. “Ghost”, the man who runs CC Unit, produced copied messages allegedly from Garcia’s text logs that the ex-coach admitted on camera to making.
Garcia is described as a former seasonal walk-on coach in the Covina-Valley Unified and is apparently no longer employed, according to a district statement.
Garcia allegedly was found in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, but it is unclear if he will face any related charges. ********** The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent. |
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