Latest news with #PedroGonzalez
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Katy child sex trafficking update: Suspect identified as girl's softball coach
The Brief Sources confirm that a man charged with child sex trafficking was a softball coach while under investigation. Pedro Gonzalez is charged with child sex trafficking and is accused of having sex with one of the victims. The grandparent of a former player on his team spoke anonymously to share the story. KATY, Texas - Multiple sources confirm that Pedro Gonzalez, charged with child sex trafficking in Harris County, was a girl's softball coach while under investigation. The backstory In December 2024, FOX 26 broke the initial report of Pedro Gonzalez and Brandon Andrews being arrested and charged, accused of trafficking two teenage girls out of a Katy Motel 6. The next month, new information came out about Gonzalez's immigration status and Andrew's criminal past, revealing Andrews was out on bond for a similar charge when he was arrested on the more recent trafficking case. What they're saying At the time, FOX 26 received some tips that Gonzalez was possibly affiliated with a Katy softball team, but none of the reports were from credible sources. In April 2024, a credible source came through. The grandmother of a child who played on Gonzalez's team emailed in wanting to spread the word that he was working with children. "Someone sent me your video from December, then I watched your update in January, and that's when I reached out to you," the woman told our reporter. She wished to remain anonymous. "I just feel it's too important for parents to know about this. What if their children were also being coached by Pedro," she said. FOX 26 confirmed with another parent of a former player and a coach from another Katy softball team that Gonzalez was a coach, managing his own team named the 'Lady Sandlots'. The coach from the other Katy team tells FOX 26 that the team was privately run by Gonzalez and didn't have any additional oversight. The Grandmother FOX 26 spoke with says one day Gonzalez simply disappeared and wasn't heard from again. "The rumors were that he had been picked up because he was not here legally, and then there were rumors that he had been charged with some offenses towards children." Court documents in the trafficking case do not mention Gonzalez's affiliation with the team and do not say any children involved in the teams were involved in the investigation. Still, the allegations against someone working so close to children are shocking for any parent. "I know how much she enjoyed having this man as her coach, and I think she felt very comfortable around him, which is very scary." Dig deeper In December, FOX 26 requested Gonzalez's background from the Houston ICE field office. The request came back in January saying that he was in the U.S. illegally when he was accused of committing this offense. "Pedro Pablo Gonzalez Penalver, a 40-year-old illegally present Venezuelan national, was admitted into the United States on January 23, 2017, at the Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, but failed to depart according to the terms of his admission," the field office said in a statement. It goes on, "An immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Gonzalez removed from the United States in absentia on August 27, 2019." What's next Both Andrews and Gonzalez are still in custody and Gonzalez has a disposition in court scheduled for May 29. If you or anyone you know may have information concerning this case call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. The Source This update comes from three anonymous sources close to Gonzalez, the grandparent of a former player, the parent of a former player and a coach of a softball team that interacted with Gonzalez on a regular basis.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
2 organized retail theft suspects arrested in Spring Hill
SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities in Spring Hill have arrested two men for their connection to an organized retail theft operation. According to the Spring Hill Police Department, the men are being investigated for dozens of similar crimes across the nation. The investigation began after undercover agents in Spring Hill's shopping district spotted a man, later identified as 30-year-old Pedro Gonzalez, walk into an Ulta store with a backpack. Fugitive wanted in connection with drug trafficking operation arrested after months-long search After Gonzalez left the store with that same backpack bulging, detectives moved in and stopped the Mercedes he was traveling in. Bodycam video obtained by News 2 shows the interaction between law enforcement and two men in the vehicle, neither of whom spoke English. Police reported Gonzalez is a Cuban national who only has a passport. Meanwhile, the driver—identified as 35-year-old Yandy Ortiz— has a Florida driver's license, which was expired. Surveillance footage from Ulta captured Gonzalez filling a backpack with merchandise. During the stop, police found that the backpack was filled with expensive products. A duffel bag was recovered from the trunk, which was also loaded with more merchandise. VIDEO: Man trapped, rescued after hiding from Columbia authorities in storm drain 'In this day and age we communicate,' said SHPD Lt. Mike Foster. 'There are databases out there.' A background check revealed that Gonzalez is linked to 88 organized retail thefts across the nation, totaling more than $133,000 in stolen merchandise. 'We are definitely in the right place at the right time, but it is old school police work, being out there looking with your own eyes, watching for suspicious behavior,' added Foster. 'We can have all the technology in the world but oftentimes we forget it's simple, sitting in the parking lot one day can yield amazing results of criminal activity.' Both men are being held in the Maury County Jail facing organized retail crime and felony theft charges. Officials said at least one police agency in Maricopa, Arizona is seeking to extradite Gonzalez on similar charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
