Cross-Country Predator Arrested in Grant County
GRANT COUNTY, Ind.— A California man is currently in custody in Grant County after traveling over 2,000 miles to commit a crime against a minor he had met online.
Kevin Dominguez, 26, of Sacramento, California, was arrested this week and is facing multiple serious felony charges stemming from the investigation by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
The case began on Friday, October 24th, when the Grant County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an unknown man inside a local residence where children were present.
An immediate investigation revealed that the man, identified as Dominguez, had been grooming a 12-year-old girl for several months through online communications. Police say Dominguez traveled from California to the Fort Wayne area, reportedly staying in a local hotel, with the intent to meet the child in person.
In a critical development that led to the suspect’s peaceful apprehension, detectives determined the child’s parents discovered the illicit communication. The child’s father then communicated directly with Dominguez, which, according to the Sheriff’s Office, “helped deputies take him into custody without incident.”
Dominguez was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on a range of charges, reflecting the severity of the allegations.
The charges filed are:
Child Molesting (Level 3 Felony) – 3 counts
Child Exploitation (Level 5 Felony) – 2 counts
Strangulation (Level 6 Felony)
Battery (Class A Misdemeanor)
The Level 3 felony charges are among the most serious under Indiana law. Sheriff Del Garcia noted that if Dominguez is convicted of each Level 3 felony he faces, he could be sentenced to a total of up to 48 years in prison.
Sheriff Garcia used the arrest as a cautionary tale for the community, highlighting the urgent need for parental awareness in the digital age.
“This arrest highlights the dangers that exist online and how quickly communication with strangers can turn into a serious threat,” Sheriff Garcia said in a news release. “We encourage parents and guardians to stay actively involved in their children’s online activity and to report any suspicious interactions immediately.”
The case remains open and is actively being investigated by officials from both Grant and Delaware County.
