YPD child and family crimes unit taking more predators off the streets

Crimes against children and domestic violence arrests in Yuma are on track to surpass last year’ s numbers.

This year, there have already been 32 arrests made compared to last year’s total of 44.

One of the tasks the division keeps track of is the over 150 sex offenders registered in Yuma.

Between September and December of 2018, officers made about 12 arrests off of sex offender registrants who failed to comply with their requirements, according to Detective Nathan Townsend, Yuma Police Department Child Crimes. He added of the 12 arrested, two are back in prison.

Detective Townsend explained why the arrests his unit makes are so important.

“I think the reason the arrests we make in our unit are so important is one…we focus on crimes against children, whether they be physical abuse or sexual abuse and the other half of our shop is against domestic violence,” Townsend said.

Out of the 32 arrests, 27 of those were for domestic violence,” said Townsend.

One predator the unit removed off the street is 32-year-old Kevin Alvarez, who is now serving 20 years in prison after police were tipped off to child sexual abuse happening in his home.

” It was a 31-year-old man who was trying to have a family with a 13-year-old girl. This young lady was living in their house and was under the guardianship of him and his wife when he and she started having a relationship and were planning to have a family,” said Detective Townsend.”

YPD arrested Kevin Alvarez in December on 19 sex crime-related charges. He was indicted in Yuma County Superior Court on December 27 on 13 charges. Alvarez pleaded guilty to two counts including sexual conduct with a minor and attempted molestation of a child, according to court documents.

Alvarez was sentenced May 16 in Yuma County Superior Court.