May 23, 2026 – Fresno Police Department officials report that they are sharing this information of the recent arrest by the Fresno Police Department in case anyone else in the community may have had any inappropriate contact with the suspect that went unreported.

On May 21, 2026, Fresno Police Department officers responded to West Weldon Avenue and North Channing Way regarding a male adult attempting to speak to a 12-year-old girl. Officers and Sexual Assault Unit (SAU) detectives interviewed the victim, who explained that while she was walking to school, a Hispanic male adult in a navy-blue van pulled up alongside her. The suspect spoke to the victim in Spanish, and the victim did not understand what he was telling her. The suspect then positioned his vehicle in the victim’s path, pointed at his cell phone, and waved the victim over to him. The victim feared for her safety, walked over to the suspect, and she handed the suspect her phone. The suspect entered his phone number into the victim’s cell phone and told the victim he would return at 4:00 p.m. to pick her up. Before driving off, the suspect blew the victim a kiss. The victim walked safely to school and reported the incident to school officials and the police.

Detectives searched the neighborhood for surveillance footage and eyewitnesses. Detectives also recovered the victim’s phone for forensic analysis. After a thorough investigation and analysis of law enforcement databases, and with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team, detectives identified and located the suspect, 27-year-old Elias Panzo Temoxtle. Temoxtle was arrested by the ICAC team for several felony charges, including distributing or showing pornography to a minor, annoying a child under 18, and false imprisonment. Temoxtle was booked into the Fresno County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.

If you have additional information, please contact Fresno Police at 559-621-7000 or the Sheriff's Office at 559-600-3111.

Source & photo: Fresno Police Department