No charges filed by Riverside County DA against man who tried to arrange meetup with Temecula teenager
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges against the suspected sexual predator who tried to meetup with a Temecula teenager for sex because they said more evidence was needed before they could take action.
William Vandenbush, a 46-year-old Homeland resident, was arrested on Friday at Nicolas Road Park for allegedly sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor for sexual purposes and arranging to meet with a minor for sexual purposes, deputies said at the time.
When they presented the case to the district attorney's office, however, prosecutors determined that further investigation was necessary before they could file charges against Vandenbush, who was released from custody on Wednesday afternoon.
In a press release issued on the arrest, deputies said that the suspect communicated with the victim online before persuading her to meet with him for sexual purposes.
Investigators were made aware of the scheduled meetup after receiving a tip from members of the public, who were actually posing as the teenage girl while "conducting their own undercover" investigation.
Still, deputies arrived to the park, which is located at Nicolas Road and North General Kearny Road, at around 4 p.m. on Friday when the meetup was scheduled for. They found the suspect surrounded by a group of about 20 people that were recording the encounter.
He was arrested without incident and the onlookers were also questioned but no one was detained.
Deputies say that despite the arrest and information, it's wise to let authorities handle predator stings as it's unclear how dangerous the suspect can be.