Thermal man to stand trial for molestation charges

A 61-year-old Thermal contractor accused of repeatedlymolesting a young female relative was ordered today to stand trial on felonycharges.

A judge ruled that enough evidence was presented at John Ruiz Ureste’spreliminary hearing to proceed to trial on seven counts of committing a lewdact with a child younger than 14. He is due back in court on July 2.

Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Timothy White testified on Tuesday thatthe girl, who was 11 when the alleged yearlong molestation started in July2011, told her mother that Ureste “had been touching her” at his house onPierce Street.

White recalled an instance when the girl and her brother were spendingthe night, sleeping in Ureste’s bedroom. During the night, she said, Uresteasked her to move closer to him, and “he put his hand inside her underwear andshe put her hand inside his underwear,” White testified.

He said the alleged victim spent a lot of time at Ureste’s house. Hewould pick her up from school, and she would do chores for him and often stayovernight.

White said the girl’s mother described Ureste as a “good man,” butsaid she “wanted to do the right thing for her daughter.”

Ureste allegedly kissed the girl, touched her breasts and buttocks andrubbed his privates against her while she was clothed and got her to touch him,according to a sworn declaration filed in support of a search warrant.

“The victim stated she was very scared and was afraid to say or doanything,” sheriff’s Investigator Melissa Nieburger wrote. “Ureste provided(the girl) with money and gifts of chocolate and candy. He told her not to tellbecause `a secret is between two people and not three.”‘

Ureste, who was arrested in August 2012, is free on a $75,000 bond.

At the preliminary hearing, a representative from the CaliforniaContractors State License Board asked the judge to suspend Ureste’scontractor’s license during criminal proceedings. Riverside County SuperiorCourt Judge Jeffrey L. Gunther declined, but added to Ureste’s bailrequirements a condition that he not work in areas where unsupervised minorsare present, according to Deputy District Attorney Brijida Rodarte and courtrecords.

Ureste is listed on the contractors licensing board’s website as ageneral contractor with a post office box in Coachella.