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Woman escapes Turlock apartment where she was sexually assaulted, abused
Jesse Esquire III
Jesse Esquire III

A Turlock man stands accused of holding a woman captive in his apartment and repeatedly sexually and physically assaulting her, the Turlock Police Department reported.

The suspect, identified as Jesse Esquire III, 38, was taken into custody after a brief stand-off with law enforcement Wednesday night.

The woman was held at Esquire’s apartment in the 1500 block of N. Palm Avenue for 24 to 48 hours.

The woman told police that she was abused physically and sexually assaulted numerous times by Esquire. The woman said she knew Esquire prior to the incident.

At one point, Esquire was distracted and the woman was able to escape from the apartment, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman. The woman ran to a neighbor’s house and called the police department.

“Upon arrival at the location, officers ensured that the victim was safe and provided for her care and wellbeing,” Holeman wrote in a press release.

The woman was able to give the police the name of her attacker and told them he was last seen in his apartment. She also told them he was armed with a gun and was under the influence of narcotics, Holeman said.

“Due to the nature of the call, and the information provided to police by the victim, the Turlock Police Department Critical Response Team was activated,” Holeman said.

A Ceres Police Department SWAT vehicle responded to the incident, which allowed officers on scene to get closer and use a public address system to speak to Esquire.

Esquire initially refused to come out of his apartment, but after a brief period of negotiations, he surrendered to the officers.

“Turlock Police Department used all available resources including the Critical Response Team, patrol officers, detectives, supervisors and command staff to protect not only the victim in this case, but the surrounding community members as well,” said Turlock Police Capt. Miguel Pacheco. “The utilization of an allied agency’s crucial piece of equipment during this incident was instrumental in safely resolving this situation.”

Esquire was booked into Stanislaus County Jail for sexual assault, false imprisonment, domestic battery, criminal threats and assault with a deadly weapon. He is currently in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail in lieu of a $150,000.

Anyone with any information about this incident is encouraged to call Detective Brandon Bertram at 664-7323. You can also contact the Turlock Police Department’s Tip Line at 668-5550 extension 6780 or email at tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us. Tipsters can remain anonymous. The Turlock Police Department is an active participant in the Crime Stoppers Program. Callers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 521-4636 and may be eligible for a cash reward.