A predatory pattern is unfolding in Yolo County, and authorities believe the worst may not yet be known. On July 2, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office arrested 22-year-old Andrew Ayala-Chavarria of Woodland on accusations of sexually assaulting teenage girls he targeted through Snapchat.
The investigation began after deputies responding to a fire assistance call in Dunnigan on June 29 received a report from a juvenile under age 15 who disclosed an assault that had occurred roughly 12 hours earlier. What started as a single complaint quickly expanded. Detectives, working with Woodland police and West Sacramento, identified a second victim—a 16-year-old girl—connected to Ayala-Chavarria. The pattern they uncovered is chilling: Ayala-Chavarria allegedly used Snapchat to meet underage girls, supplied them with alcohol until they were incapacitated, and then sexually assaulted them.
Here’s what makes this case particularly alarming: a search of Ayala-Chavarria’s Snapchat account suggested to detectives that there are likely other victims who haven’t come forward yet. That’s code for“we don’t know how many more people this person may have harmed.”This is the moment when authorities cast a wider net and ask the community to help fill in the gaps.
If you or someone you know has information about Andrew Ayala-Chavarria or believes they or another young person may be a victim, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office is urging you to contact them. The specifics of his charges are still being finalized, but what’s clear is that social media predation remains a persistent threat in our region, and these cases often involve more victims than initially reported. This is a reminder for parents, guardians, and teens themselves: online connections that lead to real-world meetups, especially with adults, carry serious risk.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
