Girlfriend Assault Caught On Camera, Suspect Pleads 'Not Guilty'

ARCADIA, CA — A man allegedly caught on home security video dragging his estranged girlfriend off the front porch of a home in Arcadia pleaded not guilty Thursday to kidnapping and other charges.

Robert Michael Mendez, 27, faces one felony count each of kidnapping and making criminal threats and three felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. The criminal complaint also includes an allegation that Mendez personally inflicted great bodily injury in the circumstances involving domestic violence.

Police was sent a link to the home security video about 2 p.m. Sept. 30 and determined the attack had occurred about 11:40 p.m. Sept. 29, according to the Arcadia Police Department.

The victim ran up to a home near Santa Anita and Camino Real avenues. She was followed seconds later by the suspect. He grabbed her by a hand and, as she fell to the ground screaming, dragged her off the home's front porch and out of view.

Officers scoured the area and found the "significantly injured" woman about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in a house in the 1500 block of South Santa Anita Avenue, according to police. The suspect, identified as Mendez, was also in the home and was taken into custody, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital.

Mendez remains jailed in lieu of $330,000 bail while awaiting his next court appearance Nov. 14 in Pasadena.

City News Service, Patch editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.