The Scotts Valley Police Department announced this afternoon it had arrested Anthony Pujals, 62, as part of an investigation into historical child sexual assault allegations.
Pujals was taken into custody on March 5, near Mountain View home and booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on multiple felony aggravated assault of a child charges, the Department stated on its Facebook page.
In December 1997, an 11-year-old girl and her two sisters were placed in the care of their aunt and uncle in Scotts Valley, a spokesperson wrote, adding over the following year, the 11-year-old victim was sexually assaulted on a weekly basis by her uncle, Anthony Pujals.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
SVPD officials say the assaults ended in late 1998 when Pujals was arrested for domestic violence, and the children were returned to their mother.
However, the now-adult victim, concerned additional individuals could be at risk, recently reported the abuse, according to police.
During the months-long investigation, a second victim was identified, SVPD said, adding this individual was 11 years old in 1988 when she was sent to live with her half-sister and her sister’s husband—Anthony Pujals (in Huntington Beach).
Police said she lived with the Pujals for about a year and reported experiencing repeated sexual assaults during that time.
“After a thorough investigation, the case was presented to the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, resulting in an arrest warrant for Pujals on multiple felony counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child,” an SVPD spokesperson said in a release. “These charges stem from the crimes committed against the first survivor, as statute of limitations laws prevented prosecution for offenses against the second survivor.
“The Scotts Valley Police Department commends the bravery of these individuals for coming forward in pursuit of justice. Their courage not only seeks accountability for past crimes but also helps protect others from potential harm.”
Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Scotts Valley Police Department (831) 440-5670 or the tipline at (831) 212-5139.
