A Tulare County grand jury indicted a former Porterville City Council member on Wednesday for alleged sex crimes against a minor.
The charges against Daniel Penaloza, 28, included four felonies. They are two counts of sex with a minor more than 3 years younger than the assailant, sodomy of a person under the age of 18, and dissuading a witness pertaining to a separate victim.
The grand jury also indicted Penaloza on a misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a child, according to a news release from the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
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Penaloza Enters Not Guilty Plea
Penaloza pleaded not guilty when arraigned on Thursday and he was released on his own supervised recognizance.
A jury trial is scheduled for March 25. Penaloza faces up to five years in state prison if he’s convicted of all charges.
The alleged crimes occurred between June 2020 and May 2021, the DA’s office said.
Penaloza resigned from the Porterville City Council on June 8, 2021, after missing two consecutive meetings. In 2018, the community activist became the youngest person ever elected to Porterville’s city council.
DA’s Office Asks for Tips
The DA’s office is seeking the public’s help with gathering further information in this case. Anyone with tips is asked to call DA’s investigator Jessica Machado at (559) 636-5410.
