Salinas man pleads guilty to annoying or molesting child

A Salinas man pleaded guilty to three felony counts of annoying or molesting a child, according to Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo.

Last year a 14-year-old child reported to Salinas police that she was being followed while walking home after school for a period of three days. She said a man in a white car, pulled up next to her and asked her to come over with him. The victim replied no and kept walking. The incidents happened from October 31st to November second.

Police said the victim was able to identify 31-year-old Jorge Morales Pineda as the suspect. An officer was able to obtain surveillance videos from the victim’s apartment complex as well as Pineda’s GPS records which confirmed he had been following her.

Pineda will be sentenced on Septmeber 7 to 13 years and four months in state prison.