The Colusa County District Attorney’s Office on Monday dismissed the single felony charge against an accused child molester after reaching an impasse over what to do with an elderly man in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Officers from the Williams Police Department arrested Rafael Gomez Gomez, on April 26, 2021, following reports that he solicited and inappropriately touched a child or children at the Williams apartment complex where he lived.
Gomez, now 82, has lived under the watchful care of his family since being found incompetent to stand trial and released without bail two years ago.
District Attorney Brendan Farrell said the county has been unable to place Gomez into conservatorship due to ineligibility.
Farrell said Gomez has obeyed all laws and the terms of his release, and he is confident that his family will be able to guard against any further behavior that will place the community in danger.
Still, Farrell asked the court to dismiss the charge without prejudice so that the case could be revisited if a similar incident occurs. ■