Salinas teen sentenced to 48 years for molesting 9-year-old girl

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced Thursday that an 18-year-old had been sentenced to 48 years to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for sexually molesting a girl under 14.

Mateo Pedro Baltzar, 18, was convicted of forcible rape of a child under age 14 and causing great bodily injury, as well as three additional counts of forcible lewd acts against the same child, said Pacioni. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

On Oct. 5, 2022, Salinas Police responded to a local elementary school for a report that a student had shared multiple incidents of sexual abuse that required medical care. The victim was nine years old at the time of the report, said Pacioni.

While police were speaking to the victim, Baltzar arrived at the school and was arrested. Baltzar admitted to sexually molesting the victim but denied the recent incident that resulted in her injury.

Police were able to determine that sexual abuse was caused by Baltzar as well.