Police seek other potential victims after kidnapping arrest
SAN JOSE >> Investigators are exploring whether a man arrested late last month, on accusations he followed a woman leaving a downtown San Jose nightclub then tried to kidnap her, is behind any additional attacks, police said.
Monday, police publicized the March 25 arrest of 33-year-old San Jose resident Ivan Galicia Palalia, who is being held without bail in the Elmwood men's jail.
According to San Jose police, officers were called at about 3:30 a.m. to Loma Verde Drive and Eden Avenue, near the city's Cadillac neighborhood, for a report of an assault.
An ensuing investigation alleges that a woman was at a downtown San Jose nightclub and that Palalia watched her and a friend leave the area then followed them in his car. When they got to the neighborhood about five miles away, police say Palalia “picked up” and tried to carry away the woman, who by this point was heavily intoxicated.
The woman broke free, and police alleged that Palalia “attempted to abduct her for the purposes of sexual assault.” Palalia was arrested the same day, and was booked into jail. He has since been charged with a felony count of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense.
A police report accompanying the criminal complaint states that the victim had no memory of what took place, but that her friend, who drove her home, walked up to the woman's home and realized the woman's keys were still in the car. While the friend was retrieving the keys, she told police she saw a man later identified as Palalia carrying her away.
The friend ran after the two and screamed at the man, who dropped the woman and ran off, according to her police statement. She added that soon after, she discovered that the woman's dress was pulled up and her underwear had was down aroundher knees.
Palalia claims, in statements given to investigators, that he had walked up to the woman with the intent of helping her because she was visibly intoxicated, and that he was trying to prop her up. He reportedly denied having any sexual contact with the woman and later said that his approaching the woman “was a bad idea from the start.”
He added that the woman fell down, and that he didn't drop her, according to the police report, in which he also said the woman's underwear was down because she might have been urinating prior to their encounter.
The woman's friend said she recognized Palalia's car from the area of the night club and saw it again on the street where the alleged attack occurred. After giving differing explanations for why he was there — including that he parked it there then got a ride with someone else to head downtown — he later stated that he saw the woman and her friend downtown and that he “subconsciously followed their vehicle.”
He denied any wrongdoing, but also “recognized his actions as being creepy,” according to the police report. Palalia also reportedly wrote an apology letter — included with the police report — to the woman in which he said he never intended to hurt her, asked for the woman's forgiveness, and stated that he “will accept the consequences.”
Police spokesman Officer
Steven Aponte said sexualassault investigators are assessing whether Palalia is responsible for any other similar incidents. That may be based in part on his statements in the police report that in the past, “he has given the drunk girl rides home for money, but he denied ever doing anything sexual or inappropriate to anyone.”
Palalia was arraigned late last month and is next scheduled to appear in court May 3.The criminal charge has a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Anyone with information about the case can contact the SJPD Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at 408277-4102 or leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org.