YCSO: 54-year-old fathers child with minor

Yuma man accused of relationship with 16-year-old after wellness check on newborn - 13 On Your Side's Arlette Yousif reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA/KECY) - A 54-year-old man accused of sexually abusing a runaway teen was arrested after allegedly fathering a child with the victim.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) says they got the call when someone in the area noticed a newborn around the property.

“They were able to make contact and that’s when they discovered that the mother of the newborn child, that was indeed born in the home, was a juvenile,” says Yuma County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Tania Pavlak.

A neighbor says it’s usually a quiet neighborhood.

“I saw the presence of cop car out here in the front, but that’s all I saw,” explains Aminta Mendoza.

The more the deputies talked to the man and the minor, the more they learned.

“It was discovered that he was the father. They both said that they were the parents of the child," says Pavlak.

The runaway teen, a 16-year-old from California, was only 14 when she came to Yuma.

One neighbor says she believes the victim was living with Pierson since that time. Another neighbor says he’s shocked because he never saw a woman or girl around the trailer. YCSO says neighbors didn’t have much to share with them either.

“They weren’t really able to describe the female subject because they don’t really see her often. So they weren’t really able to say if she was pregnant or if she looked different,” explains Pavlak.

As far as the baby’s condition…

“The child was in good health. Rural Metro actually went out and was able to do a check on the child and the baby was in good health," Pavlak continues.

Pierson was arrested for sexual conduct with a minor and abuse, and is held on a cash-only bond of $150k.

The baby has been turned over to the Arizona Department of Child Safety.