Thread: Warrant for priest who likely fled to Mexico

SONOMA
Warrant for priest who likely fled to Mexico
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, July 27, 2006


A no-bail federal arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for a Catholic priest from Sonoma who is believed to have fled to Mexico to avoid charges that he sexually abused three boys.

Father Francisco Xavier Ochoa, 68, is being sought on a warrant alleging unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on 10 felonies -- including lewd acts with a child, forcible sodomy and oral copulation -- and a misdemeanor charge lodged in June by Sonoma County prosecutors.

Authorities said they believe Ochoa fled to Mexico in early May, days after he met with Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and admitted to sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy in Sonoma County in April and confessed to two other incidents with boys -- both of whom are now adults -- in Napa County and Mexico many years earlier, authorities said.

After the state charges were filed June 23, Ochoa told a friend in Sonoma County during a telephone call that he knew there was a warrant for his arrest, Deputy U.S. Marshal Brett Lemmon wrote in an affidavit. During that call, Ochoa referred to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephen Passalacqua as a "son of a bitch" and said if the prosecutor sent anyone to Mexico to get him, "he had a loaded firearm ready for them," Lemmon wrote.

Ochoa acknowledged kissing the 12-year-old boy on the mouth three times and offering him $100 to do a striptease, investigators said in court documents. Another alleged victim said Ochoa showed him gay pornographic videos, authorities said.

Walsh told investigators that about six years ago, Ochoa had a drinking problem and was sent to Guadalajara, Mexico, for alcohol treatment, court records said. In 2001, Ochoa was too drunk to drive and had a "young unlicensed male drive him home," court documents say. That driver hit a parked car in Sonoma.

Dan Galvin, an attorney for the Santa Rosa diocese, said Wednesday, "We're continuing to cooperate with the authorities in any investigation."

Walsh has denied claims that he should have been quicker to notify authorities about Ochoa or that any delay gave Ochoa enough time to flee. Walsh said he immediately placed Ochoa on administrative leave, removed him from all ministries and barred him from serving as a priest.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... K6E0C1.DTL

During that call, Ochoa referred to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephen Passalacqua as a "son of a bitch" and said if the prosecutor sent anyone to Mexico to get him, "he had a loaded firearm ready for them," Lemmon wrote.

A priest who sexually abuses children, flees prosecution, and threatens prosecutors? Sounds to me like they should leave him in Mexico.

had_enuf,

they should leave him in Mexico.

I agree, but in JAIL so that he can't hurt the children in Mexico.