Vallejo man guilty of child sex crimes

A Solano County Superior Court jury Wednesday found a 46-year-old Vallejo man guilty of multiple child sex crimes on a child under 14.

Enrique Mejia-Picazo, charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child under age 14 and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, faces as much as 42 years to life in state prison when sentenced later this month.

Judge Daniel Healy, who presided over the trial in Department 2, ordered Mejia-Picazo to return for sentencing at 8:30 a.m. June 17 in the Justice Building in Vallejo.

In a press release, District Attorney Krishna Abrams said court records show that, in 2017, MejiaPicazo moved into a residence in Solano County with his then-girlfriend and her 12-year-old daughter.

Soon afterward, he began to sexually assault the child while under his care. This occurred over an extensive period of time, escalating into violence “in which he used force or fear to gain compliance,” Abrams added in the prepared statement.

The child disclosed the abuse to a relative, who later reported it to the Vallejo Police Department.

The child, now 17, “courageously testified at the jury trial,” Abrams said.

Deputy District Attorneys Barry M. Taira and Renee M. Haase led the prosecution.

District Attorney Investigator Robert Greenberg, a former detective with the Vallejo Police Department, investigated the case.

Victim Witness Advocate Andrea Vela provided victim advocacy and support to the victim.

Abrams said if someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault and needs the assistance of an advocate, call 784-6827 or Family Justice Center at 784-7635.