Former caregiver accused of molesting children may have fled to Philippines
A 48-year-old former caregiver in Manhattan Beach suspected of various crimes against children is believed to have fled to the Philippines, the FBI said Wednesday.
The fugitive, Edgardo Feralin Dormido Jr., was a caregiver for a family in Manhattan Beach, where he allegedly molested two victims who lived in the home, including a 9-year-old girl. He was fired July 10, 2015, after the family was notified of the incidents.
Dormido then stayed with a relative to hide from police, according to an FBI statement.
Authorities said that on Oct. 9, 2015, prosecutors in Los Angeles County Superior Court charged Dormido with five felony child sex abuse counts.
The Manhattan Beach Police Department requested assistance from the FBI after attempts to locate Dormido in California were unsuccessful, authorities said. Court documents filed by the FBI said Dormido used a Philippine passport to fly from Los Angeles International Airport to Taipei, Taiwan, on July 13, 2015.
From there, he flew to Manila, Philippines, where authorities believe he continues to live. In 2022, law enforcement inquiries revealed Dormido was employed as a janitor at Bago City College in Negros Occidental, Philippines, the court affidavit stated.
He was charged by federal prosecutors with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in federal court in Los Angeles in 2022.
Dormido is still wanted by the FBI and Manhattan Beach Police Department, and a federal warrant has been issued for his arrest.
He was described as 5-foot-4, with brown eyes and black hair, and weighed 130 pounds when he last was seen.