SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — District Attorney Dan Dow announced on Thursday, June 22 that San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Timothy S. Covello has granted the petition for the commitment of Alfredo Arcilio Mendez (62) as a Sexually Violent Predator. Mendez, who has been convicted of multiple sexually violent crimes, will remain in the custody and care of the California Department of State Hospitals.

The decision came after a four-day court trial during which Judge Covello reviewed evidence and heard closing arguments. The judge concluded that there was sufficient evidence to support the District Attorney’s petition for Mendez’s civil commitment as a Sexually Violent Predator.

Under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Law, a District Attorney can seek continued detention of an individual beyond their parole period if they have been convicted of sexually violent offenses, diagnosed with a mental disorder, and pose a present danger to the community due to the likelihood of engaging in further acts of sexual violence if released. The purpose of the law is to protect the community through treatment and rehabilitation, rather than imposing additional punishment.

Mendez’s prior convictions include offenses committed in both San Diego County and San Luis Obispo County, involving lewd acts on children and forcible oral copulation. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Mendez sexually assaulted multiple children while working at a daycare facility and committed further offenses against both male and female victims.

Testimonies from survivors and evaluations by four psychologists confirmed Mendez’s diagnosed mental disorder of pedophilia, indicating a predisposition to commit sexually violent offenses against children. Two of the evaluating psychologists also concluded that Mendez poses a substantial and well-founded danger to others and is likely to engage in predatory sexually violent behavior if released.

Following the ruling, Judge Covello issued an order committing Mendez to Coalinga State Hospital as a Sexually Violent Predator. The California Department of State Hospitals will review his progress bi-annually.

Deputy District Attorney Kimberly R. Dittrich, from the District Attorney’s Office Sexual Violence Unit, prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Grover Beach Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation. District Attorney Dan Dow expressed his commitment to protecting the community from dangerous sexual predators like Mendez.