Newhall Man Denies Hugging Teenage Girls
A 24-year-old Newhall man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of sexually assaulting three teenage girls he allegedly grabbed and hugged as they walked on the street, authorities said.
Kenneth Pettit entered his plea in Newhall Municipal Court to one count of attempted kidnapping, one count of felony sexual battery and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery, a court clerk said.
The charges stemmed from two separate attacks on Friday, said Lt. Timothy Peters of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Santa Clarita station.
In the first case, a 13-year-old girl was walking with her brother on San Fernando Road near Arch Street in Newhall at about 4:40 p.m. when Pettit allegedly ran up from behind and gave the girl a “bear hug,” Peters said. The boy and the girl struggled with Pettit for a few moments until the girl was able to break free and they ran away, Peters said.
The second attack occurred about an hour later on Creekside Drive in Valencia, where Pettit allegedly tried to hug two 15-year-old girls from behind, Peters said. The girls’ yells attracted bystanders who held Pettit until police arrived, Peters said.
Pettit is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail until a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Peters said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
