SAN DIEGO — The man accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl from her home in Brawley and crossing into Mexico was supposed to appear in San Diego federal court Friday afternoon.
But at the last minute, the hearing was called off because the defendant, Lorenzo Guerrero, was hospitalized, his attorney told the judge.
Guerrero, 44, was the subject of a week-long international manhunt before the teenager was found safe on Tuesday in Tecate, Mexico.
Guerrero's detention hearing had to be rescheduled to Dec. 26. His defense attorney, Patricia Ojeda, told the judge her client was hospitalized after suffering chest pain from an existing heart condition.
An amber alert was issued Dec. 14 for the teenager Guerrero was accused of kidnapping from her home in Brawley on Dec. 10.
The FBI office in San Diego offered a $10,000 reward for information to find the girl. FBI spokesperson, Kira Boyd, would not confirm whether the reward money helped locate the teen, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Mexican government put out a news release saying the girl and her alleged abductor were located in the San Jose neighborhood of Tecate.
“The FBI was working with Mexican authorities to safely locate the juvenile and the suspect, they were both located,” said Commander Jonathan Blackstone with the Brawley Police Department.
Now that the teenager reportedly has been returned home, CBS 8 is no longer naming the minor or using her photo.
On Friday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) released the following statement regarding Guerrero’s criminal history:
“Lorenzo Guerrero was first admitted to CDCR from Los Angeles County on Oct. 3, 2008, to serve four years for first degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance. He received 17 days of pre-sentence credits from the court for time served while awaiting sentencing. On Aug. 13, 2010, while incarcerated, Guerrero was sentenced in San Diego County to serve another three years, concurrent to his previous sentence, for transporting or selling a controlled substance and vehicle theft. He received 544 days of pre-sentence credits for time served while awaiting sentencing. Guerrero was released to parole supervision on Dec. 27, 2010, and discharged from parole on Aug. 9, 2012. On Nov. 16, 2020, Guerrero was admitted from Los Angeles County on a paper commitment to serve one year, four months for resisting or deterring an officer with threats/violence. He received 289 days of pre-sentence credits from the court for time served while awaiting sentencing. He was released to parole supervision on Feb. 23, 2021. The Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) concluded his commitment was non-serious and non-violent, so he did not meet requirements for parole supervision. Guerrero was discharged to Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) on Oct. 4, 2022. More information about PRCS can be found here.”