Man convicted of false imprisonment for attacking Thermal girl, mistrial declared for sexual assault charge

MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) - Jurors convicted a 21-year-old man of false imprisonment for attacking a Thermal girl on her way home from school, but were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on a sexual assault charge and another count, resulting in a mistrial for those felonies.

The Murrieta jury weighing the fate of Christian Daniel Arreola of Coachella deliberated three days before announcing Monday that a unanimous decision was certain on only the one felony charge.

Jurors informed Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jeff Zimel that the remaining counts -- assault with intent to commit mayhem and sexual battery -- had led to an impasse in polling, leading the judge to declare a mistrial on those two allegations.

Zimel scheduled a status conference for May 13 at the Southwest Justice Center. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office will announce then whether it intends to proceed with retrying Arreola on the remaining charges, or submit and permit the court to sentence him for the false imprisonment conviction.

Arreola is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

According to a bail-setting affidavit filed by Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigators, on the afternoon of Sept. 6, 2022, the Coachella Valley High School student, whose identity was not disclosed, was returning to her house by cutting through a palm tree field north of Airport Boulevard, west of Calhoun Street.   

The girl told detectives that as she walked a path through the field, a 2019 Buick Encore, later confirmed to be Arreola's, passed her at slow speed, and before reaching the end of the path, made a U-turn and stopped, at which point the defendant got out, ostensibly to ``check parts on the car,'' the affidavit stated.  

The youth walked by at her normal pace, but ``seconds later, Christian ran behind her, grabbed and pinched her right breast and grabbed her left shoulder,'' according to the narrative.

``She began yelling and twisting in order to get away, causing Christian to wrap his left arm around her upper body and neck and begin to choke her and pull her toward him,'' the affidavit said. "She was constantly moving while also screaming, and at one point, Christian moved his forearm over her mouth. She managed to maneuver her head out of his grasp only by slipping downward."

The teenager fell, landing on her school backpack, and Arreola allegedly tried to mount her, but she kicked him, according to investigators.   

``Christian violently grabbed at her breasts and began pulling off her shirt and grabbing her breasts until the shirt was pulled so hard it ripped,'' the affidavit stated. ``She continued fighting and screaming for him to stop. She realized he was not stealing anything and feared that ... he was attacking her because he was going to take her away ... rape her and kill her.''

Arreola abandoned the attempt, jumping into his car and driving away, investigators alleged. The victim ran home and called her mother, who in turn summoned deputies.

A law enforcement Flock license plate camera and recorder placed in the general vicinity captured images of the Buick, enabling detectives to track down the defendant, who was taken into custody four days later without incident at his Heather Lane residence. He was positively identified by the girl, according to sheriff's officials.   

Arreola had no documented prior felony convictions.