Port St. Lucie - Tuesday August 15, 2023: Port St. Lucie Police (PSLPD) Detectives tracked down a registered sex offender in California after learning that a local youth had been solicited through the use of a cell phone app.
Within two days of learning of the reported incident, PSLPD Detectives were able identify 32-year-old Eric Pineda, of Murietta, California, as the suspect. They obtained a warrant and Pineda was taken into custody by the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation.
“Distance cannot deter justice, and our commitment to safeguarding our children has no boundaries," said Chief Richard Del Toro in a release. "Our Detectives worked swiftly to identify and apprehend this suspect through coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners in California. The Port St. Lucie Police Department will continue to pursue those who prey on our children.”
Pineda is currently in the process of being extradited back to St. Lucie County on 4 felony charges which are: lewd or lascivious exhibition, promoting sexual performance by a child, lewd or lascivious exhibition using a computer and transmission of material harmful to minor by electronic equipment.