Felon Accused of Abducting Ex-Girlfriend in Palm Springs Must Stand Trial

 In blog, Crime – MyNewsLA.com

Felon Accused of Abducting Ex-Girlfriend in Palm Springs Must Stand Trial

by Contributing Editor

A two-strike felon accused of abducting a former girlfriend and threatening her at gunpoint in Palm Springs must stand trial on kidnapping and other felony charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Manuel Tamayo Valadez, 34, of Palm Springs was arrested Sept. 24, a day after he allegedly forced his ex-girlfriend into his vehicle prior to firing off a gunshot with the intent to threaten her.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio that spanned two days, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dale Wells found there was sufficient evidence for the defendant to proceed to trial and scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Feb. 3.

Valadez, who remains behind bars in lieu of $1 million bail, is charged with one count each of kidnapping and making criminal threats and two counts of spousal abuse, all felonies, as well as two misdemeanor counts of wilfully violating a protective order, along with five sentence-enhancing allegations of committing a crime while out on bail.

He faces a potential life sentence if convicted, according to prosecutors.

The victim testified Wednesday that Valadez grabbed her hair and yanked her into his vehicle outside her condominium on Via Escuela in Palm Springs about noon last Sept. 23.

The woman testified Valadez said he wanted to talk about their failed relationship, and that she observed a gun in his waistband. She said they drove around the desert for several hours and made a few stops. At one point, she testified, he fired off a gunshot and told her “that could happen to you.”

She said she eventually fought back, and during the struggle, the vehicle crashed near Costco in Palm Desert, where she escaped and called 911

Valadez allegedly ran off, and a manhunt ensued. Officers tracked him down to a house in the eastern Coachella Valley, where he was arrested without incident the following day, police said.

Valadez’s public defender, Daniel Yu, called Palm Springs police Detective Leonardo Gonzalez to the stand, where he described what he observed on surveillance footage collected as part of the investigation, which included video from both a gas station and an area casino during the alleged kidnapping.

In the footage, both the suspect and victim appeared calm, and at one point were seen holding hands and hugging each other, Gonzalez said. Yu argued that the victim’s behavior in the video did not appear to show a woman who had just been kidnapped.

At the time of his most recent arrest, Valadez was out on bail on separate spousal allegations involving the same woman dating back to Sept. 3. Charges related to both events were consolidated into one court case.

Valadez was convicted of two robbery counts in 2013 in Riverside County, court records show. He also has a felony conviction for vehicle theft.

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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com

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