Father flags down officer, then beats up man accused of molesting his daughter

A 23-year-old Clovis man faces possible child molestation charges after he was attacked at a traffic light by the father of the girl said to have been his victim – in front of an Atwater police officer.

Officer Patrick Radke was in his patrol car about 8 p.m. Friday at Atwater Boulevard and Shaffer Road when a 42-year-old man ran up to the idling patrol car and “frantically” demanded Radke stop a gray Chevrolet Malibu, which also was idling at the stoplight in front of the officer, the Police Department reported.

The man then ran to the Chevrolet “and began assaulting the male driver through the driver’s side window,” Interim Police Chief Samuel Joseph said.

Radke quickly intervened and even deployed his stun gun to stop the incident. The electrical probes of the stun gun didn’t attach, but the man eventually backed away and told the officer that the driver, later identified as Dylan M. Nobile, was “having a sexual relationship with his 15-year-old daughter,” police said.

The man said he’d just learned of the relationship from messages on his daughter’s cellphone. Nobile’s nose was bloodied, but he was not seriously injured, police said.

“After reviewing the evidence and interviewing the victim and suspect, it was found that he had committed several lewd and lascivious acts with the minor,” Joseph said. “A criminal history on Nobile revealed that he had been arrested in the past for sex crimes.”

Police said Nobile had been sending sexually explicit messages, or “sexting,” with the teenager and had some type of sexual contact with the Atwater girl at least once. Joseph said investigators still are working to determine a timeline for the incidents.

Nobile was booked into the Merced County jail on suspicion of sexual penetration with a foreign object, a felony, and misdemeanor allegations of sexual battery, annoying or molesting a child under 18, and distributing matter harmful to a minor. He posted bail and was released from custody Saturday afternoon, according to booking records.

Nobile could not be reached for comment Monday.

Police said Nobile declined to press assault charges against the father. Police, however, will ask the Merced County District Attorney’s Office to review the case to determine whether the father should be charged with assault and obstructing police.

“He said he didn’t want (the father) charged, but we have to let the district attorney review the case to decide,” Joseph said. “I’ve heard of things like this – parents enraged and seeking out the suspects on their own – but I’ve never seen it happen right in front of an officer before.”

This story was originally published November 7, 2016 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Father flags down officer, then beats up man accused of molesting his daughter."