Testimony begins in trial of man who allegedly tried to abduct Thermal girl

MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) - Prosecution testimony got underway today in the trial of a 21-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting and trying to kidnap a Thermal girl as she walked home from school.

Christian Daniel Arreola of Coachella was arrested in 2022 following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into the alleged attack on the teen victim, whose identity was not disclosed.   

Arreola is charged with attempted kidnapping to commit rape, assault with intent to commit mayhem and felony sexual battery.   

The prosecution and defense delivered opening statements Monday at the Southwest Justice Center, and Superior Court Judge Jeff Zimel ordered jurors to return to the Murrieta courthouse Tuesday for the start of testimony.   

Arreola is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the SmithCorrectional Facility in Banning.  

According to a bail-setting affidavit filed by sheriff's investigators, on the afternoon of Sept. 6, 2022, the high school student 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 and swung her water bottle at his face, 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 because his vehicle's rear door was open, he was attacking her because he was going to take her away ... rape her and kill her.''

Arreola abandoned the attempt, pushing against the teen when she tried to get up and throwing her hat and glasses into the field in frustration, then 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.   

The affidavit alleged the defendant's girlfriend informed detectives that he had developed a habit of choking her during sex and had become "depressed (in recent months), his eyes cold and unfeeling."

"She said he even spoke of suicide,'' according to the document. 

Arreola has no documented prior felony convictions.