MARTINEZ (CA)
East Bay Times
December 12, 2017
By Nate Gartrell
MARTINEZ — An East Bay minister who was out of jail on $1.3 million bail is a wanted man for failing to show up in court after a girl testified he sexually abused her for years.
Fernando Maldonado, 37, was on trial facing 23 counts of child molestation when he apparently fled the area, possibly to Mexico. His alleged victim, a girl who was less than 16 years old when the alleged sexual abuse occurred, testified Thursday and Friday that he sexually abused her numerous times over a three-year period, while he was a minister at two local churches.
Then, on Monday, Maldonado failed to show up to court. Judge Clare Maier issued a bench warrant for his arrest the same day, listing him as “voluntarily absent.” That means the trial will proceed without him. Closing arguments are expected to take place Wednesday.
If convicted, Maldonado could be sentenced to more than 30 years in prison, according to court records. Prosecutors on Tuesday argued that they should be able to refer to the defendant’s absence during closing arguments, and Maier seemed open to it, but has not yet issued a ruling.
The abuse began when Maldonado, a Concord resident, was a minister at Morello Avenue Baptist Church in Martinez and the victim was a parishioner there, police said.
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