23-year-old man accused of child molesting in incident with 13-year-old

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind.—A 23-year-old man was arrested on June 6 and is accused of child molesting in an incident involving a 13-year-old girl, according to a probable cause affidavit.  

On June 5, an officer with the South Bend Police Department was dispatched to the 800 block of West Laurelwood Court where she met with a mother who explained that her 13-year-old daughter ran away from home with a man named Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo, court documents said.

The mother explained that while she was at work the day before, one of her nephews told her that Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo had come to her house and was seen kissing her 13-year-old daughter, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The same nephew said that the 13-year-old left the mother’s house with Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo, 23, around 3:15 p.m. on June 5, reports said.

Around 10:52 p.m. that evening, an officer was sent to the Laurelwood Apartment Complex because the 13-year-old was seen at the playground there with an adult male.

The officer performed a traffic stop on Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo’s vehicle and he was alone, court documents said. Soon after the stop, the officer learned that the 13-year-old had returned home.

An officer then began to speak with Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo after reading him his Miranda Rights and activating his body camera, court documents said.

During the course of their conversation, the officer learned that Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo knew the victim was 13-years-old and the two had met on Facebook, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo told the officer that he had come from Plymouth on June 4 to spend time with the victim, at which point the alleged molestation took place, court documents said.

The officer ultimately took Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo to the St. Joseph County Jail where he was charged with child molesting.

Jose Santos Diaz Carrillo was released from the jail on bond on June 12 and is due in court on June 13.