Son of Former Ramona Track Star Pleads Not Guilty to Groping

The 23-year-old son of former Ramona track star Manny Guaderrama pleaded not guilty Wednesday to seven misdemeanor charges, including assault and sexual battery.

Alex Guaderrama of Alpine is accused of groping two women, punching a third and vandalizing a vehicle outside a Pacific Beach taco shop Aug. 21,

The altercation was in the 1100 block of Garnet Avenue, according to the City Attorney’s Office.

About 1 that morning, Guaderrama, a restaurant worker near La Mesa and son of San Diego police Capt. Manny Guaderrama, allegedly fondled and grabbed two young women while waiting in line at a sidewalk Mexican restaurant, then hit a friend of theirs in the face when she protested.

Guaderrama then allegedly broke out the window of a nearby parked car, slashing his hand in the process, SDPD public-affairs Lt. Andra Brown said.

Officers responding to the ruckus detained Guaderrama —whose blood-alcohol leveled was measured at 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving—and took him to a hospital.

After being treated for his wound, Guaderrama was released on his own recognizance.

A judge Wednesday ordered Guaderrama to wear an alcohol-monitoring device as a condition of his release, and to have no contact with the alleged victims in the case.

Guaderrama will be back in court Jan. 8 for a readiness conference.

Guaderrama’s father, Manuel “Manny” Guaderrama, set a still-standing record in the 2-mile run at Ramona High School of 9 minutes, 19.7 seconds in 1977.

In a Patch interview posted Aug. 21, the same day as the incident involving Alex, Guaderrama said his middle of three sons was a waiter at the Brigantine Restaurant near La Mesa.

In the 1990s, Manny Guaderrama was chairman of the California Board of Prison Terms, the state parole board, and heard the cases of Charles Manson and others. 

—City News Service contributed to this report.