BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Editor’s note: Thie content of this article may be disturbing to some readers. The Los Alamos Reporter has chosen not to publish the more explicit details contained in the affidavit for the arrest warrant out of respect for the minor victims in this case.

A 26-year old man, Adrian Ferran, has been arrested by Los Alamos Police Department and charged with criminal sexual penetration of a minor and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Ferran appeared Thursday afternoon before Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor.

The affidavit for an arrest warrant filed in Los Alamos Magistrate Court by Det. Cindy Garcia alleges that Ferran went to Los Alamos HIgh School December 10 to deliver a bumper to the Auto Shop. He obtained a visitor’s pass from the office on his arrival and was on LAHS property for about six hours. The Court documents indicate that Ferran left campus with three minors and drove to a picnic area on North Mesa at lunchtime. Ferran allegedly drove back to the Auto Shop on campus with the three minors. Two of them went to class for 40 minutes but left class eventually, and a 14-year old girl left campus again with Ferran in his vehicle. Ferran took the girl to ‘a park area on North Mesa where he had sex with her in his vehicle before driving her back to the high school.

In his intervews with Det. Garcia and Det. Sgt. Ryan Wolking during the investigation, Ferran admits to sexual penetration of one of the minors as well as having alcohol in his truck at the LAHS Auto Shop and that the three minors had each drank some of that alcohol.

Rio Arriba Magistrate Court records indicate that there was a bench warrant issued November 3 for Ferran on a traffic charge and that the warrant was still in effect when Ferran obtained his visitor’s pass at LAHS. It is not known what supervision he had while at the Auto Shop on campus and there is reportedly extensive video surveillance of Ferran during his hours on campus.

Ferran, who is being held at the Los Alamos Detention Center, appeared witout an attorney Thursday afternoon before Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor. Judge Taylor read the charges against him. First Judicial District Attorney’s Office senior trial attorney Elizabeth Counce told the Court that this case is a little more complicated than most of the cases that come before the Court. She said Ferran has a pending violent felony in before Judge Anastasia Martin and would have to remain in custody until the domestic violence case in Rio Arriba County Magistrate Court has been resolved.

There are three juvenile victims in this case. All three are represented in the Court today, either through them being here themselves or their families representing them. They all expressed concerns about (Ferran) knowing where they live, therefore we are asking for and exclusion zone for their addresses,” Counce said.

She said the nature of the charges is serious, that Ferran faces a mandatory three years up to 18 1/2 years of incarceration on the charges. Counce said Ferran is charged with a sexual offense against a child victim and faces potential sex offender registration.

“The state understands that the charges are extremely concerning to the community and the victims, while also having to acknowledge that the people of this state voted to pass the constitutional amendment that allows (Ferran) to be released as noted in the pre-trial recommendation.,” Counce said. She noted that criminal sexual penetration of a minor isecond degree is an enumerated violent offense and that the arrest warrant affidavit and criminal complaint contain very detailed allegations.

The state requested Pretrial Monitoring Level 4; no contact with the victims or their families or two other witnesses in the case; no contact with any children under 18 years of age unless they are his biological children; no going to any school.

“I ask this and I know this is unusual but these allegations arise out of behavior where he is alleged to have gone to the Los Alamos High School, remained on that property for hours while school was in session, using that time to provide alcohol to the minors and to befriend the two 14-year old girls and then take one of the 14-year old girls off the property during school hours where he is alleged to have perpetrated the crime of sexual penetration of that child,” Counce said.

She added that these facts support the request not to allow Ferran near any school. She asked for all the standard conditions of release as well as electronic monitoring with exclusion zones for the addresses of the minor children.

Jedge Taylor reminded Ferran that he is under terms of release in the case before Judge Martin and that he would be in detention until Judge Martin could see him. She said she would go ahead and impose conditions of release in the current case to be put in place should Ferran be released in the other case. She told Ferran he would be release on his own recognizance. She set an unsecured appearance bond of $100,000. She imposed standard conditions of release including exclusion from Los Alamos County except for Court appearances. Ferran is required to avoid all contact with the victims and witnesses who may testify in the case. His supervision under Pretrial Monitoring Level will be at Level 4, which is the top level and will include electronic monitoring with an exclusion zone as requested by Counce. Ferran is to have no contact with any minor other than his biological children – nobody under 18., and no contact with any school.