Wasco mayor Alex Garcia was allegedly caught trying to meet a minor by a group of vigilantes who recorded themselves confronting and assaulting the official.
Local leaders are now calling for the 34-year-old mayor's immediate resignation. He has not yet been charged with a crime.
On July, 24, a Facebook group called "Bakersfield Crime Watch" posted video footage of the incident showing Garcia, the first openly gay elected official in Wasco, a Bakersfield suburb, arriving at a prearranged location, purportedly to meet a 15-year-old boy he had been communicating with on Sniffies, a gay dating app.
Garcia Allegedly Showed up to the Meeting with 'Condoms, Marijuana, Sex Toys and Poppers'
Davonn Bradley, the man who posted the video, said Garcia showed up with condoms, marijuana, sex toys, and amyl nitrate, known as "poppers."
Bradley, told a local news outlet that he and a man he identified as his brother had been posing online as teens in an attempt to "catch predators, ask them why and what they're doing here, and release the videos to the public so people know who they are and can report them."
Garcia, according to Bradley's post, was planning to "do horrific things" to whom he believed to be a child. At least one of the men in the video can be seen assaulting Garcia as he demands he "don't... touch no little boys no more."
"I'm sorry," Garcia responds. "Please, no. I never will."
The following video contains the use of profane language. Viewer discretion is advised:
Garcia's Lawyer Says His Client was 'Tricked' and 'Lured' to the Location, Alleges it was Motivated by Homophobia
Garcia's lawyer earlier issued a statement on his behalf, saying he advised his client "not to make any statements because there are a few investigations that appear to be ongoing."
"Based on the information we have available right now, it appears to be a situation where two individuals tricked Alex and lured him to a location in Bakersfield and then attacked him," attorney Jared Thompson said. "The video that is circulating shows felony conduct on the part of the individuals, not Alex. Based on Alex's sexual orientation, it appears that this could have been some kind of hate crime or homophobic attack."
Garcia Allegedly Said in Texts He was 'Looking for Younger,' Made $25 CashApp Payment to Buy the Fictitious Child's Silence
The Wasco Tribune said Bradley provided screenshots of alleged text messages from Garcia to the purported 15-year-old, in which a person identifying himself as Garcia said he was "looking for younger," and reacting with apparent excitement when the "teen" described himself as "super young." Bradley also showed the reporter a $25 CashApp payment from Garcia, which he said was a payment in exchange for the boy's silence.
Garcia was first elected in 2016, but stepped down in 2021 from his position as mayor following a drunk driving arrest. He pleaded no contest to the charges, and was reinstated to office last December.
