At about 11:52am Thursday, Turlock Police arrived at a residence in Turlock to conduct follow-up in a juvenile molestation investigation.
On Saturday, Turlock Police learned of inappropriate interactions between Santiago Cornejo, 21, of Turlock, and a 13-year-old girl that had been going on for two weeks.
The initial officer learned that Cornejo had met the girl at the Quik Stop in the 4200 block of Main Street in Denair and maintained contact with her through Snapchat, including occasional in-person meetings.
The officer acted swiftly, gathering crucial witness statements and evidence, which suggests there may be more children who fell victim to Cornejo.
Detectives took over the investigation, contacted Cornejo at his residence, and transported him to the Turlock Public Safety Facility.
From there, Cornejo was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of three counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14 and going to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd or lascivious behavior.
With the possibility of more underage victims, detectives are calling on anyone with information to come forward and report these serious matters.
“The Turlock Police Department remains steadfast in our fight against child exploitation and is dedicated to protecting the safety and wellbeing of children in Turlock and surrounding communities,” said Detective Giovacchini. “Ensuring the safety of our youth from predators is our top priority.”
Giovacchini has already proven time and time again that protecting youth from predators is her top priority, arresting several within the past year and leading a two-day operation back in January that resulted in 17 arrests.
“I am proud of Detective Gina Giovacchini and our team for their efforts to intercept those looking to harm children in our community,” said Chief Hedden after the January operation led by Giovacchini.
Back in February, Giovacchini’s time as a four-year rotational detective came to an end and she returned to patrol. Even as a patrol officer, Giovacchini continued to focus on child predators, arresting a couple along the way.
Last month, Giovacchini was promoted to a permanent detective position following an opening caused by retirement, where she will continue to focus her attention on catching child predators.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist is encouraged to call Detective Giovacchini at 209-668-6539.
