A 10-year-old girl escaped an attack by a high risk sex offender at a San Mateo Laundromat Wednesday morning, police said.
At 11:12 a.m, San Mateo police officers were dispatched to the Mas Wash and Dry Laundromat at 364 N Ellsworth Ave. on a report of indecent exposure that occurred about 30 minutes earlier, police said. Sisters ages 10 and 12 had ridden their bicycles to the business, and while the older sister was locking up both bikes the 10-year-old walked in to exchange coins. That’s when a suspect walked up behind the girl, pulled down his pants “and bear-hugged the child while thrusting his pelvis onto her for about 25 seconds,” police said. The girl then managed to break free from an attempt by the suspect to pull her into a back room.
The girl ran crying to her older sister, and the children raced home to inform their mother.
Officers confirmed the incident via video security footage. Just before 2 p.m. the same day, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 200 block of Elm Street about a trespasser, who matched the suspect seen in the video. The trespasser was identified as Ignacio Rosendo Martinez, a 46-year-old transient and high-risk sex offender. The victim later positively identified Martinez as the suspect who assaulted her, police said.
Martinez was arrested and transported to San Mateo County Jail. He was booked on a multitude of sexual assault charges including failure to register as a sex offender, violation of parole terms and an outside agency warrant.
