Man, woman accused of harboring suspected molester

By KRIS REILLY, EDITOR

LUCERNE VALLEY • A suspected child molester was arrested Tuesday along with two people suspected of harboring him.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputies obtained an arrest warrant for 51-year-old Michael Roger Brouwer and attempted to locate him at his home on Fairlane Road in Lucerne Valley on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies found Jennifer Anne Rankin, 42, at the home feeding Brouwer's dogs.

When questioned, Rankin claimed she didn't know where Brouwer was but said she had seen him at her home in the 10000 area of Meridian Road earlier in the day.

Rankin agreed to let deputies follow her back to her home, and deputies pulled her over when they saw her making a phone call in her car. She claimed she was calling to try to help find Brouwer, Lucerne Valley Substation Sgt. Wendell Anderson said.

"That sounded suspicious, so they took her phone to prevent her from making any more calls," Anderson said.

Deputies later determined that Rankin was calling Craig Allen Johnson, 51, to have him warn Brouwer that authorities were on their way. Johnson was found at the home, and Brouwer was found trying to escape into the open desert nearby, Anderson said.

Brouwer was arrested on suspicion of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. Rankin and Johnson were each arrested on suspicion of harboring or aiding a felony suspect, and Johnson was also booked on a warrant related to a charge of driving without a license. Each suspect was being held on $250,000 bail at the Victor Valley Jail.

Brouwer's alleged crime was reported the previous Saturday by a female victim, Anderson said. He said Brouwer had been a friend of the victim's family.