LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A Huntington Beach man was found guilty today of kidnapping and raping a 7-year-old developmentally disabled girl.
Daniel Vlas Flores, 30, was convicted of sexual intercourse with a child 10 years old or younger, sodomy of a child 10 years old or younger, kidnapping to commit a sexual offense, and sexual penetration of a child 10 years old or younger, according to the prosecution, according to City News Service.
The victim, described as being "severely developmentally disabled," had been his neighbor at the time of the crime. The child had been playing in the yard with another neighbor close in age on August 19, 2009, when the babysitter stepped away to help someone move a piece of furniture. That's when Flores grabbed the victim, and took her to his apartment, where he raped, sodomized, and sexually assaulted her.
The child's companion had wondered where her friend had gone to, and went looking for her friend. She spied the victim inside Flores' apartment through a sliding glass door. The child enlisted the help of her brother and cousin, who were about the same age as the girls, and they pried the door open.
The victim fled and locked herself in a room in her own home, and was ultimately coaxed out and examined by a medical professional. DNA analysis linked physical evidence found on the girl's body and clothing to Flores.
The playmate, now 10, took the stand during the trial to testify about what she had seen the day her friend was abducted.
Jurors reached a verdict at the end of the day Thursday, and it was delivered and read Friday morning.
If convicted, Flores faces 72 years to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 8.