Cathedral City man charged with lewd acts with child re-arrested

A 43-year-old man who had been free on bail in connection with alleged lewd acts on an 8-year-old was taken into custody again today following a judge’s decision to increase his bail to $1 million.

Joe Angel Cardoza of Cathedral City is charged with oral copulation or sexual penetration with a victim less than 10 years old, oral copulation or sexual penetration with a victim less than 14 years old and two counts of lewd acts. The crimes allegedly took place in August 2017.

Following Cardoza’s initial arrest in 2017, he posted $55,000 bail, according to court records.

In February, prosecutors requested that his bail be increased to $1 million. Cardoza’s attorney, Forest Wilkerson, saying his client was not a flight risk or a danger to society.

The $1 million bail “is outrageous under the circumstances and is de facto pre-trial detention based on nothing more than vindictiveness from a newly assigned deputy district attorney who was not able to coerce a plea deal out of Mr. Cardoza,” Wilkerson wrote in court papers opposing the increase.

Judge James Hawkins granted the bail increase on March 11, and gave Cardoza until April 3 to post bail or return to custody, court records show.

Cardoza did not post the bail and was rearrested Friday morning. An amended criminal complaint filed in September 2017 states that prosecutors intended to “admit evidence of prior sexual acts” in the case. However, no records were found in Riverside County that alluded to any sexual
offenses in the past.

Cardoza pleaded guilty to DUI charge in July 2017, according to court records.

Since the alleged sexual assault occurred after that guilty plea, prosecutors contend in the criminal complaint that it represents a violation of his probation in the DUI case.

Cardoza is being held at the Indio jail and is expected back in court on April 18, according to jail records.