Police Seek Possible Sexual Assault Victims At El Cajon Motel

By Debbie L. Sklar, Times of San Diego

March 20, 2023

Authorities sought public help Monday in identifying possible additional victims of two homeless men accused of molesting an underage girl at an El Cajon motel where one of them had been placed in temporary housing.

Lawrence “Larry” Cantrell, 34, and Michael Inman, 70, are both suspected of engaging in sexual activity with the girl at a Motel 6 on Montrose Court and possessing cell phone video of the encounter, according to the El Cajon Police Department.

Police said they were alerted the alleged assault Friday when they were contacted by People Assisting the Homeless, or PATH, which had placed Cantrell in a room at the motel.

According to police, Cantrell admitted that he and his friend, Inman, had sexual contact with a minor in his room at the Motel 6. Cantrell allegedly told police that Inman — whom he had met while staying at a different hotel through PATH — brought the young girl to his motel room.

“Cantrell questioned the young girl about her age multiple times because he believed her to be a juvenile,” according to police. “Cantrell told officers the young girl claimed to be an adult, but he believed she was a minor. After a short conversation, Cantrell sexually assaulted and molested the minor.”

Inman allegedly took explicit cell phone video of the minor in the motel room, video that Cantrell later transferred to his own phone, police said. Cantrell surrendered his phone to police, who confirmed the presence of the sexually explicit video.

Inman was subsequently located at a Days Inn motel in San Diego where he was staying. Inman, a parolee and sex registrant, allegedly admitted to police that he had the explicit video on his phone, and said he knew the girl was a minor. Police said Inman admitted that he and Cantrell engaged in sexual activity with the minor in Cantrell’s room in El Cajon.

He also allegedly described for officers sexual encounters he and Cantrell had with at least two additional juvenile girls over the previous week in the El Cajon motel room.

Cantrell was arrested on suspicion of drug-related offenses, while Inman was booked on suspicion of a parole violation and possession of child pornography.

Police asked anyone who may have been victimized or has any additional information to contact the ECPD at 619-579-3311.

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