Updated: Julio Medina of Yucca Valley pleads “Not Guilty” to charges involving ongoing sexual abuse of multiple minors
Photo: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Updated 9:00 a.m. on 9/24/25 with details on Medina’s arraignment.
New details have been released about the man arrested and arraigned for the alleged rape and kidnapping of minors.
At his arraignment on Monday (9/22), Julio Cesar Medina was charged with nine felonies, including the continued sexual abuse of a child and kidnapping a child under the age of 14 for sexual purposes. The charges indicate that the abuse began in 2017 and continued through 2024. He pled not guilty to all charges, and denied 25 enhancements for aggravated circumstances. He is currently at the West Valley Detention Center where he is being held on $30,000,000 bail.
Updated 9/23/25: The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has issued a press release regarding the incident below, along with a photo of the suspect. We’ve update the story with additional details and the photo.
From the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Press Release:
Deputies and detectives from the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station have been investigating multiple reports of sexual assault involving minors between the ages of five and 14, during the time of reported incidents. The reported assaults against minor victims span several years. During the course of the investigation, three victims positively identified Julio Cesar Vega Medina as the individual who sexually assaulted them. Detectives authored an arrest warrant for Medina, as well as a search warrant for his Yucca Valley residence.
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at approximately 9:09 a.m., Medina was contacted and taken into custody pursuant to the warrant. During the service of the search warrant at his residence, deputies located evidence linking Medina to a 2012 sexual assault of a minor in the city of Gardena, California. Detectives later determined Gardena Police Department had an active felony warrant for Medina’s arrest in connection with that case, which was listed under one of his many aliases.
Several of the local incidents under investigation are believed to have occurred at a private residence in Yucca Valley where Medina played part in religious gatherings. Detectives also discovered Medina used several known aliases, including:
- Julio Calzada-Vega
- Julio Calzada
- Julio Vega Calzada
- Julio Medina
- Julio Cesar Vega
- Julio Cesar Vega Medina
Medina was booked into the Morongo Basin jail, where he is being held without bail. Gardena Police Department has also placed a hold on him as part of their ongoing lewd acts with a minor sexual, assault of a minor, investigation.
Any additional victims or anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Detective Tyler A. Bengard or Detective David Rodriguez of the Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463), or you may leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.
Previously reported:
On Wednesday (September 17) just before 9:00 a.m., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence near the intersection of Twentynine Palms Highway and Grand Avenue in Yucca Valley where they arrested Julio Cesar Medina, 52, on suspicion of the rape of a minor. The Sheriff’s Department declined to provide any further information about the circumstances of the sexual abuse or arrest, saying that their investigation is ongoing.
Medina is expected to be arraigned in San Bernardino County Superior Court on Monday (September 22). He is being charged with nine felonies, including the continued sexual abuse of a child and kidnapping a child under the age of 14 for sexual purposes. The charges indicate that the abuse began in 2017 and continued through 2024. A family member of one of the victims suggested that multiple minors were abused by Medina.
Julio Medina was arrested on suspicion of the sexual abuse of a child and is being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center.
