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SAPD Detectives Arrest Suspect for Ongoing Sexual Abuse of Minors & Believe There May Be Additional Victims.

Santa Ana Police Detectives arrested Javier Ortiz Pichardo for child molestation. Pichardo began molesting children in 1999 when he was a cook at the New China restaurant in Santa Ana. The restaurant closed in 2004. Pichardo’s first victim was only seven-years-old when the child’s family were regular customers at the restaurant. Pichardo molested the victim in the restaurant bathroom. He then befriended the family and gave them free food, which gained the victim’s family’s trust. He was eventually allowed to pick the victim up from school. Pichardo repeatedly abused the victim for seven years. The abuse stopped when the victim was 14-years-old and the victim’s family lost contact with Pichardo.

The victim, now 26, was at a McDonald’s, when Pichardo walked into the restaurant. The victim immediately recalled the years of abuse and followed the victim to the parking lot, obtained Pichardo’s license plate number and called police.

Detectives launched an investigation and discovered that Pichardo was identified as a suspect in a Child Annoyance investigation by the Costa Mesa Police Department in 2002. Pichardo was also accused of child molestation in 2012 in Santa Ana. Neither case could be proven, so Pichardo was never arrested in these cases.

On August 30, 2018, Santa Ana Police detectives arrested Pichardo. The investigation revealed that Pichardo was also molesting a family member for almost 10 years. Pichardo confessed to molesting both the family member and the 26-year-old victim. Detectives are looking into the cases from Costa Mesa in 2002 and Santa Ana in 2012. Pichardo could face additional charges.

Pichardo was booked at the Orange County Jail on multiple child abuse charges and his bail has been set at $1,000,000.

Santa Ana Police Department Detectives believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone with information to contact Detective Jessica Guidry at 714-245-8530, [email protected] or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.