Scotts Valley police arrested a Bay Area man this week on multiple charges of child sexual assault for crimes that investigators allege date back nearly two decades.
Police arrested Anthony Pujals, 61, near his Mountain View home on Wednesday and booked him into the Santa Cruz County Jail.
Investigators say an 11-year-old girl and her two sisters were placed in the care of Pujals and his wife in December 1997. They allege the girl endured a year of weekly sexual assaults until Pujals was arrested in late 1998 for domestic violence, at which point the children were returned to their mother. Recently, the girl, who is now an adult, reported the abuse out of concern that others could be at risk, Scotts Valley police said.
Detectives launched a monthslong investigation, identifying a second woman they say also survived childhood sexual abuse by Pujals after she was sent to live with him and his wife in Huntington Beach in 1988 when she was 11.
Pujals faces multiple multiple felony charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child related to the alleged crimes in 1997 and 1998. He can’t be charged with the sexual assaults allegedly committed in 1988 due to the statute of limitations, police said.
In a statement, the Scotts Valley Police Department commended “the bravery of these individuals for coming forward in pursuit of justice,” saying, “their courage not only seeks accountability for past crimes but also helps protect others from potential harm.”
Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Scotts Valley Police Department at 831-440-5670 or the tip line at 831-212-5139 or tipline@scottsvalley.gov.
Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your press releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.
