Lee Vining man arrested on multiple child sex assault charges
Mitchell Pinizzotto arrested in jail on $1 million bail
A Lee Vining man, Mitchell Pinizzotto, 25, was arrested on Aug. 23 on suspicion of committing multiple sexual assaults on multiple juvenile victims. The victims were between the ages of seven to 15 years old and they were all Eastern Sierra residents at the time of the assaults, according to the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
The assaults occurred over the past nine years, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release this week.
According to Mono County Sheriff’s Office investigators and deputies, Pinizzotto is being held in the Mono County Jail on felony charges of Rape, Kidnap, and Lewd and Lascivious Acts on a Child, with bail set at $1,000,000.
“The investigation into Pinizzotto began with a report of sexual assault earlier this year, and a thorough investigation identified additional victims,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release
this week. “The reported assaults happened from 2012 to 2021, and the victims ranged in age from seven to 15 years old at the time of the reported assaults. All the crimes occurred in the vicinity of Lee Vining.”
Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun said she could not confirm how many victims were involved at this time.
She said investigators are asking the assistance of the community in identifying any additional victims and are asking any victims to please come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Mono County Sheriff’s Office at 760-932-7549, option 7.