A man has entered a plea of not guilty in relation to charges of sexual assault involving a 12-year-old girl. The incident allegedly occurred near Mt. Tabor Park, as stated in court documents.
In the afternoon of Aug. 16, police officers were called to investigate a reported sexual assault of a minor in Southeast Portland. According to the affidavit, witnesses reported that a man, later identified as 32-year-old Fernando Junior Garces, was still in the park and being followed by them.
Soon after, the authorities found Garces and arrested him.
A young girl recounted to detectives the terrifying encounter she had while out for a walk with her mother and their dog. According to her, Garces suddenly appeared and aggressively approached her. And in the process, he forcefully touched her over her running shorts, according to court documents.
After their encounter, the mother decided to keep a close eye on Garces, capturing his actions on her phone as he departed from the park.
According to the affidavit, the mother claimed that Garces took out his phone and started recording her from behind. The suspect commented, “you’re just trying to get famous.”
While observing his actions in the park, the mother confronted Garces regarding his interaction with the children.
Two women nearby contacted emergency services and kept a close eye on the girl until her mother arrived. A witness overheard a person shouting about an incident involving their daughter and managed to capture photographs of the individual, which later aided in identifying Garces.
A witness jogging in the park overheard a concerning incident involving a child and promptly took action by following the individual involved until law enforcement arrived.