After Seven Years, Chehalis Man Faces Trial for Alleged Child Molestation

April 19--A trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday in the case of a Chehalis man who evaded capture on a no-bail warrant in a child-molestation case for seven years.

Jorge Uriell Gonzales Torres, 34, of Chehalis, was originally charged in December 2009 with three counts of first-degree child molestation.

The charges also accuse Gonzales Torres of abusing a position of trust with the alleged victim.

In September 2009, the Lewis County Sheriff's Office received a report from a Chehalis woman who said her 10-year-old daughter had been molested by a neighbor when she was eight years old.

Detectives began investigating the case, and learned Gonzales Torres was accused of touching the girl inappropriately on three separate occasions.

Gonzales Torres did not have any criminal history at the time of the incident.

He was summonsed to make his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on the charges on Jan. 12, 2010, but failed to appear and was issued a no-bail warrant for his arrest.

The Lewis County Sheriff's Office listed him as one of its most wanted suspects after the warrant was issued, but he was not arrested.

Seven years after the warrant was first issued, Gonzales Torres appeared in Superior Court on Feb. 2 of this year to quash his warrant and restart the case. He was granted $25,000 unsecured bail and was released.

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