Grand Jury Indicts Merced Police Officer for Alleged Kidnapping, Assault, and Robbery
Above: Jacob Paytner
(via ABC30)
A Merced County grand jury has indicted a police officer on charges relating to an alleged kidnapping, assault, and robbery.
On Monday, August 14, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release that a grand jury had voted to indict Officer Jacob Paytner of the Merced Police Department on charges of kidnapping, second-degree robbery, assault by an officer, false imprisonment, filing a false report, petty theft, and being an officer acting without regular process.
The charges stem from an alleged incident “on or about November 24, 2022” in Merced County.
ABC30 reports that Paytner allegedly picked a man up in the city, drove him out to the area of Beachwood and Santa Fe Drives, beat him up, robbed him, and left him there.
The incident was investigated by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and later presented to the District Attorney’s Office. The grand jury voted to indict on Friday, August 11.
Paytner is next due back in court for a readiness conference on August 31. His trial has been set for October 3, the District Attorney’s Office said.
