Indio man to stand trial for alleged abduction attempt of Moreno Valley girl walking to school

A 50-year-old convicted felon accused of preying on two Moreno Valley schoolgirls and trying to kidnap one of them must stand trial for attempted abduction and annoying minors, a judge ruled today.

Rene Rodriguez Ramirez of Indio was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation.   

At the end of a preliminary hearing Thursday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka found there was sufficient evidence to bound Ramirez over for trial on the felony and misdemeanor charges.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 23 at the Riverside Hall of Justice and ordered that Ramirez remain held in on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Robert Martinez, the two victims were walking to school in the area of Cactus Avenue and Perris Boulevard about 9:20 a.m. on April 24 when Ramirez allegedly "pulled alongside them" in his car.   

Martinez alleged that the defendant "attempted to pull one of the juveniles into his vehicle ... (but) she was able to break free from his grasp."  

The girls, who were not injured, ran to their campus and notified officials what had transpired, prompting administrators to contact sheriff's deputies.  

Martinez said that, thanks to the detailed description of the vehicle provided by the students, patrol deputies spotted it roughly an hour later near the intersection of Ormista and Season drives in Moreno Valley.   

The driver, Ramirez, was detained without incident and ultimately booked into custody based on the witnesses' statements, according to the sergeant

Court records show the defendant has prior felony convictions for robbery, burglary and possession of controlled substances.