George Pecci An anonymous tip about a 79-year-old local man suspected of sexual assault had Thousand Oaks investigators on a road trip to San Diego to prevent him from fleeing the country.

George Pecci of the Westlake Village portion of Thousand Oaks was scheduled to appear in a Ventura County Court on Jan. 31 to face seven felony charges that include sexually abusing four females.

On Jan. 30, seven Ventura County sheriff 's deputies, concerned Pecci was attempting to flee the country, followed him from his home down to San Diego, according to Detective Luis Alvarez.

When he was about seven miles from the Mexican border on the 805 Freeway near Imperial Drive, the officers contacted the California Highway Patrol. CHP officers stopped Pecci and arrested the suspect, who was traveling with his son and in possession of a large amount of cash, Alvarez said. Pecci's son was released.

In December 2006, Pecci was arrested for allegedly telling female housekeepers, who responded to want ads, he would have them deported if they didn't submit to his sexual demands.

He pleaded not guilty to charges that include sexual battery by restraint and committing a lewd act upon a child.

The suspect was free on $5million bail but wasn't allowed to leave the state.

Alvarez said he and the other officers found evidence Pecci was heading to Tijuana with plans to catch a flight to Rome. Pecci is originally from Italy, Alvarez said.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department and the Thousand Oaks Police Department's Sexual Assault and Special Enforcement units arrested Pecci on a charge of attempting to flee the United States into Mexico to avoid prosecution in a pending sexual assault trial, a police report said.

Pecci was returned to Ventura County and booked on suspicion of trying to flee while on bail.

He's now being held in Ventura County Jail in lieu of $6-million bail.