Watch CBS News

Grass Valley Teen Helps Police Catch Sex Offender At Large For 12 Years

GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) - A quick-thinking teenager helped police catch a convicted sexual predator who had evaded police for more than a decade.

"I was just so proud of her for the way that she handled it," the girl's mother said.

The victim's mother says the suspect watched, followed and then tried to lure her teen daughter.

Grass Valley police say Emillo Agnew stopped registering as a sex offender 12 years ago. No one knew where he was until police say he decided to target a teen who was much smarter than he realized.

"I think that he was watching her. I think that he was targeting her," said the teen's mother, who wished to remain anonymous.

The woman had no idea Agnew lived on her street until last week when he allegedly approached her 15-year-old daughter while she was on her way to the school bus stop in the morning.

"He started talking to her and following her, asking her her name," the mother said.

Her daughter says Agnew eventually left her alone, but was waiting for the teen the next day.

"Started following her again and tried to coax her into the alley," she said.

Police say Agnew offered the teen money to model for him. So the teen told her mom she got Agnew to leave her alone by telling him what he wanted.

"So she agreed to meet with him in the alley at 3:30 after school just to get him to stop following her and told him that she had to go," the mother said.

The next morning, the teen's father followed his daughter and allegedly saw Agnew once again waiting for her. This time Agnew ran and that's when the girl's parents called police.

It was only then they realized who Agnew really was.

"We learned that Mr. Agnew was a registered sex offender who had failed to register for approximately 12 years," said Grass Valley police Sgt. Steve Johnson.

Police say it's because of the teen they found Agnew and arrested him.

Kim Sasville can see the bus stop from her salon window and is grateful for the teen who took a convicted sexual predator off her street.

"Good for her, you know? She's smart," said Sasville.

Neighbors are also grateful.

"Yeah that's pretty sick because there's a lot of kids here," said Kathy Lee.

Most of all, so it is the teen's mother, who is happy Agnew didn't get another year to get away from police.

"I was just so proud of her for the way she handled it," she said.

CBS13 knocked on the door where police and neighbors say Agnew was staying with a girlfriend. A woman walked out, but then ran back inside once she saw our cameras.

We asked police how Agnew could've gotten away from registering for so long, and they think he spent some time in Mexico and was in hiding. Police think Agnew also went into hiding in San Francisco.

Because of his ties to Mexico, police asked a judge to increase his bail, which is now set at $150,000.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.