Alfredo Jaime Dempkey, 27, in a mugshot
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HAWTHORNE-- A registered sex offender who found a teenage girl's lost dog threatened to torture her pet unless he got sex from her, police said.
Alfredo Jaime Dempkey, 27, of Hawthorne, was arrested Friday night at the place where he had agreed to meet the 17 year old girl he planned to extort sex from.
In an interview with the Daily Breeze, the teenage girl said her dog, "Pineapple," a 2 year old cocker spaniel/toy poodle mix, wandered away from her family home around 7 p.m. Friday night. Her family reportedly looked for the dog, but had no luck.
Police said they believe Dempkey found the dog and obtained the girl's phone number from its collar.
Dempkey called the girl, calling himself "Anthony" and told her he found the dog at the corner of Lennox and Hawthorne Blvd, and wanted $70 cash for its safe return, the girl said in an interview.
The teen recounted that Dempkey told her that if she didn't have money he wanted "something else"; he asked for sex.
Dempkey then threatened to torture the girl's dog if she didn't comply with his demands. According to the 17 year old, he said "If you don't want to do anything or if you don't want to give up money, I guess you don't want your dog."
She said he told her he would "make (the dog) suffer."
The teenage girl says she hung up and started crying, though Dempkey immediately called her back.
She agreed to meet him at the El Pollo Loco restaurant at Hawthorne Boulevard and Imperial Highway, she said.
The girl said she then called her father and told him everything that had happened.
Police accompanied by the girl's father found Dempkey waiting outside the restaurant with the dog, unharmed, said Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii.
Police then arrested Dempkey and returned the dog to the victim's family.
Dempkey is listed on California's Megan's Law website as a registered sex offender who served a prison term for "oral copulation with force, violence." He was arrested on suspicion of parole violation for violating his registration requirements and could face other charges.
Once Dempkey was taken into custody in the restaurant parking lot, officers recognized him immediately from a prostitution sting earlier in the evening, said Lt. Ishii.
Before the attempted extortion, earlier Friday evening, Hawthorne officers were conducting a "John sting" targeting suspects for trying to pick up prostitutes, the lieutenant said.
Ten men were arrested for allegedly soliciting acts of prostitution from undercover female officers posing as hookers.
Though Dempkey was not one of the men arrested, he was loitering near the scene. Officers believe he was merely waiting to proposition one of the undercover officers posing as a prostitute.
"It appeared he was trying to contact our undercover officer but the undercover officer at the time was speaking with a 'customer' and there was another customer also waiting 'in line,"' Ishii said.
Dempkey drove away form the scene before anything could possibly happen.
According to Lt. Ishii, after Dempkey was arrested, police realized he was driving the same car that was seen loitering at the string scene.
It's unknown whether Dempkey had "Pineapple" the dog with him at this point of the evening.
Police officers do not know if Dempkey had the girl's dog in his car at the time.
Dempkey was taken into police custody on a suspected parole violation, and may face extortion charges.
Alfredo Jaime Dempkey, 27, of Hawthorne, was arrested Friday night at the place where he had agreed to meet the 17 year old girl he planned to extort sex from.
In an interview with the Daily Breeze, the teenage girl said her dog, "Pineapple," a 2 year old cocker spaniel/toy poodle mix, wandered away from her family home around 7 p.m. Friday night. Her family reportedly looked for the dog, but had no luck.
Police said they believe Dempkey found the dog and obtained the girl's phone number from its collar.
Dempkey called the girl, calling himself "Anthony" and told her he found the dog at the corner of Lennox and Hawthorne Blvd, and wanted $70 cash for its safe return, the girl said in an interview.
The teen recounted that Dempkey told her that if she didn't have money he wanted "something else"; he asked for sex.
Dempkey then threatened to torture the girl's dog if she didn't comply with his demands. According to the 17 year old, he said "If you don't want to do anything or if you don't want to give up money, I guess you don't want your dog."
She said he told her he would "make (the dog) suffer."
The teenage girl says she hung up and started crying, though Dempkey immediately called her back.
She agreed to meet him at the El Pollo Loco restaurant at Hawthorne Boulevard and Imperial Highway, she said.
The girl said she then called her father and told him everything that had happened.
Police accompanied by the girl's father found Dempkey waiting outside the restaurant with the dog, unharmed, said Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii.
Police then arrested Dempkey and returned the dog to the victim's family.
Dempkey is listed on California's Megan's Law website as a registered sex offender who served a prison term for "oral copulation with force, violence." He was arrested on suspicion of parole violation for violating his registration requirements and could face other charges.
Once Dempkey was taken into custody in the restaurant parking lot, officers recognized him immediately from a prostitution sting earlier in the evening, said Lt. Ishii.
Before the attempted extortion, earlier Friday evening, Hawthorne officers were conducting a "John sting" targeting suspects for trying to pick up prostitutes, the lieutenant said.
Ten men were arrested for allegedly soliciting acts of prostitution from undercover female officers posing as hookers.
Though Dempkey was not one of the men arrested, he was loitering near the scene. Officers believe he was merely waiting to proposition one of the undercover officers posing as a prostitute.
"It appeared he was trying to contact our undercover officer but the undercover officer at the time was speaking with a 'customer' and there was another customer also waiting 'in line,"' Ishii said.
Dempkey drove away form the scene before anything could possibly happen.
According to Lt. Ishii, after Dempkey was arrested, police realized he was driving the same car that was seen loitering at the string scene.
It's unknown whether Dempkey had "Pineapple" the dog with him at this point of the evening.
Police officers do not know if Dempkey had the girl's dog in his car at the time.
Dempkey was taken into police custody on a suspected parole violation, and may face extortion charges.
