Indio man accused of repeatedly abusing, impregnating underage girl to stand trial

A 36-year-old Indio man must stand trial for allegedly sexually abusing an underage girl over several months, a judge ruled today.  

Miguel Pedrero Tzompantzi was held to answer on Thursday by Riverside County Judge Kristi E. Hester at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. He faces 11 counts, including multiple alleged rapes of a minor between October 2022 and April 2023, according to prosecutors.

The defendant was also accused of the acts while "[taking] advantage of a position of trust," an aggravating factor mentioned in the Riverside County District Attorney's complaint.

Indio Police arrested Pedrero Tzompantzi in September 2023 in Indio and booked him into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, where he was held without bail.

A forensic interview with an alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe, and her sister occurred when Doe was about seven months pregnant, according to the declaration in support of the arrest warrant. Doe's exact age was not made public.

Doe said during the investigation that Pedrero Tzompantzi first shoved her to the ground and dragged her into a bedroom in October 2022, leaving a scar. She told an investigator that she "froze" during the initial incident, not knowing what to do, and that Pedrero Tzompantzi had told her if she said anything, "he would deny it and blame her for everything" and that "no one wanted her," according to the
declaration.   

After the first alleged rape, Doe testified that the sexual abuse continued for several months and that Pedrero Tzompantzi eventually impregnated her, despite giving her pills afterward to avoid pregnancy.

She said she lived in fear of Pedrero Tzompantzi doing the same to her younger sister, according to the declaration.   

The defendant spent about two months in Mexico and additional time in Phoenix prior to his arrest, according to the declaration, which also alleges that Pedrero Tzompantzi called his wife to apologize for having sex with Doe when confronted. He claimed during the phone call that he knew Doe was underage, but "it was not all his fault," continuing to tell her that he had only done this once.

Doe's father corroborated the statement that his daughter's scar was from the push to the floor.  

Pedrero Tzompantzi initially pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment last September. He is set for an information arraignment on June 5 prior to his currently unscheduled trial.