Man Arrested in Lewd Child Endangerment Case

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Guadalupe man on child endangerment charges after he was allegedly spotted committing a lewd act in his car and then sped off.
Sheriff’s Spokesman Tony Cipolla said deputies were called at 10:25 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 to the Bob Jones Trail in Avila Beach. Two women said they were walking along the trail on Avila Beach Drive when they came upon a car parked by the side of the road.
“The car had its passenger side door open,” Cipolla said. “When one of the women walked by she noticed an overweight man with no pants, seated in the driver’s seat, masturbating.” The woman yelled out and Cipolla said the man drove away with the car door open. A witness got a partial license plate and deputies soon found the vehicle.
“The Deputy initiated a traffic stop and as he approached the vehicle, noticed a young female child, later identified as the suspect’s daughter, seated in the backseat without a child safety seat.”
Witnesses positively identified the suspect, Eric Manuel Salinas, 29 of Guadalupe, and he was arrested without incident.
Cipolla said, “Based on the fact that driving away from the area with his car door open and his 2-year-old daughter not having a child safety seat could likely cause great bodily injury or death, and the fact she had observed him masturbating, Salinas was booked for child endangerment, annoying or molesting a child, and indecent exposure in a public place. His daughter was placed in protective custody and turned over to Child Protective Services.”