A 53-year-old man is on the run in Los Angeles after being accused of molesting a number of young girls during quinceañera video and photo shoots. Gilardo Vallida Nunez, a quinceañera photographer and videographer, is suspected of molesting at least four young girls under the age of 15, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police say the Nunez would video himself touching the young quinceañeras inside his yellow Humvee.
Gilardo Vallida Nunez is wanted for arrest under charges of felony lewd acts on a child, with bail set at $1 million dollars. Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Mission Detective Division, which is investigating the incident spoke to the LA Times. “It’s sad and maddening that this man used the victims' quinceañera as a way to find his victims," he said. "Nunez’s own video, taken inside the Humvee, is our best evidence in one case.”
Nunez is described as Latino, 5-feet, 5-inches tall with a medium build and receding hairline. Following an arrest warrant on his home in Panorama City, LAPD seized computers, memory cards and cameras that had been hidden in a closet. “These items are undergoing forensic analysis and we expect to find other victims,” Lt. Vernon explained.
Quince Años is an important celebration for many young Latinas, an important rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood, which, for the Latino community is even more important than the sweet sixteenth. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Nicole Kittle at (818) 838-9975 or Det. Marc Madero at (818) 838-9969.
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