Four police officers in Ridgecrest, Kern County, California, United States conducted an undercover operation from August 2023 to September 2023. They posed as children age 12 through 16 on social media sites and applications where adults allegedly engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors.
The Ridgecrest Police Department officers used girl decoys and boy decoys. A total of 12 individuals allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations and arranged a meeting in Ridgecrest.
Once the suspects attended the meeting site, they were arrested. Here is the list of the arrestees:
- Antonio Ramirez, 32, Lancaster, California
- Arnold Oscar Danielson, 71, Ridgecrest, California
- Brian Joseph Sardisco, 29, Torrance, California
- Eric Randall Fields, 32, Ridgecrest, California
- Francisco Crescencio, 26, Ridgecrest, California
- Freddie Cuizon Patindol, 42, Ridgecrest, California
- Gilbert Ocampo Calderon, 52, Ridgecrest, California
- Jaime Puebla Martinez, 28, Ridgecrest, California
- Jorge Vizcarra, 22, Sanger, California
- Mark Jansen Simeon Agpalasin, 34, Ridgecrest, California
- Ryan Junior Herrera, 23, Ridgecrest, California
- Whitt Clifford Mitchell, 28, Weldon, California
Bail amounts for the 12 arrestees started at $55,000. At least one of them is still in custody on a $100,000 bail.
Ridgecrest was incorporated as a city in 1963. Aside from its own police department, the city has a regional station of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
Musician Mark Hoppus, 51, was born in Ridgecrest. He is the bassist of Blink-182, a rock band formed in 1992 in Poway, San Diego County, California.
