Police say the February procedure prompted a new warrant; the same technician was arrested in a separate case in April.
TURLOCK, CA — A former ultrasound technician was arrested Nov. 19 after a woman reported he sexually assaulted her during a February medical appointment in Turlock, police said. Officers took 45-year-old Gerald Eugene Pinatacan into custody following a court hearing on an earlier case.
Authorities said the February report reached detectives on Nov. 5, triggering a new investigation that focused on actions inside a medical office on the 1500 block of Colorado Avenue. Investigators allege Pinatacan’s conduct and statements during the appointment were not consistent with a legitimate exam. He was already the subject of a separate April arrest tied to a different patient. The latest booking places the case at a more advanced stage, with detectives pointing to two identified patients this year and signaling they are examining whether additional victims exist. Pinatacan is no longer employed by the practice where he had worked, police said.
According to police, the woman who came forward this month told officers she was assaulted in February during an ultrasound visit and described comments from the technician that led her to believe the actions were medically necessary. She later reported “concerning” conduct during a March follow-up with the same technician. While reviewing the new complaint, detectives confirmed the earlier April arrest in a separate incident involving a different patient. Police said officers obtained an arrest warrant in the latest case based on the woman’s statement and documentation, then arrested Pinatacan on Nov. 19 after he finished a hearing in Stanislaus County Superior Court on the unrelated matter. “This is an extremely troubling case,” Police Chief Jason Hedden said in a department news release. “When someone seeks medical care, they place complete trust in the professionals who are there to help them. That trust was violated.”
In the new case, police said Pinatacan faces allegations including sexual penetration with a foreign object and sexual battery for the purpose of sexual arousal. The separate April case, which led to his firing from the clinic, was booked as sexual battery by restraint, according to police records summarized by investigators. The Colorado Avenue office where the February appointment occurred is in a commercial corridor south of E. Hawkeye Avenue. The Turlock Journal has identified Pinatacan’s former employer as Central Valley Cardiovascular Medical Group at 1508 Colorado Ave., and reported that the practice declined to comment. Detectives said the March follow-up visit with the same patient included additional behavior she found improper. Officers also noted that statements Pinatacan previously gave to police about exam procedures were inconsistent with standard medical practice. Details about his initial court appearance in the new case were not immediately available, and whether he has retained an attorney remains unknown.
Public records and local coverage indicate Pinatacan, 45, worked as an ultrasound technician at the Turlock office before his termination following the April arrest. In that earlier incident, a patient told staff she had been touched inappropriately during an ultrasound of varicose veins on her leg; an officer’s report said a medical assistant confirmed the procedure would not require the patient to remove underwear or lie on her stomach. After being advised of his rights in that case, Pinatacan acknowledged touching the patient’s genital area and asking her to remove her underwear, stating it was a “mistake,” according to the report. Police said the woman in the February case did not report her experience until this month, a delay officers described as common in alleged medical setting assaults. The department has emphasized that the February and March appointments happened before the first arrest in April.
Following the Nov. 5 report, detectives secured a judge’s approval for an arrest warrant and coordinated with court deputies to take Pinatacan into custody at the courthouse on Nov. 19. He was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail. Jail records on any current bail status were not immediately available, and charging documents for the new case had not been posted by Thursday afternoon. Investigators said they are continuing to review clinic scheduling records, internal staffing notes and any relevant imaging orders from the dates in question. The police department said it is also assessing whether additional patient encounters require follow-up interviews. Prosecutors have not announced a filing decision in the new case; the district attorney’s office typically screens arrest reports and labors over charge language before a first court date.
People inside the Colorado Avenue business district described a heavy police presence when detectives executed parts of their investigation this month. A receptionist in a nearby office said officers stopped by twice to confirm hours and access to shared hallways. “It was surreal to see that many uniforms,” she said, declining to give her name because she was not authorized to speak for her employer. At the apartment complex across the street, a resident who gave his name only as Daniel said he often noticed patients arriving early in the mornings. “You don’t expect to hear something like this about a medical office,” he said. Police Chief Hedden said the case resonates beyond the clinic walls. “Our department is committed to holding individuals accountable when they abuse positions of authority and cause harm,” he said.
As of Thursday, Pinatacan remained in custody on the new arrest, according to local coverage, with the April case still moving through the courts. Officials said the district attorney’s office will determine formal charges and a schedule for arraignment. A court calendar for next steps in the newest case had not yet been posted. Police said they are preparing further updates as the investigation continues. Any additional public statements are expected after prosecutors announce charging decisions or a first appearance date.
Author note: Last updated November 27, 2025.