Morongo Valley man who molested minor pleads guilty
A 43-year-old felon from Morongo Valley who had a sexual relationship with an underage girl will be sentenced next month on two felony charges.
Elogio Elias Arredondo pleaded guilty at the Larson Justice Center in Indio on Monday to one felony count each of committing a lewd act on a girl under the age of 14 and sexual battery. He's set to be sentenced April 4.
Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Jose Tijerina said deputies were sent March 28, 2020, to Thousand Palms on a call about a missing juvenile being located.
The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force then took control of the investigation and identified Arredondo as the suspect, but he had fled the area prior to their arrival, according to Tijerina.
He was subsequently arrested April 11, 2020, by officers from the Bell Gardens Police Department and was released to the RCAHT Task Force.
Arredondo remains held at the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio without bail.
No other details about the investigation were released.
Arredondo has two previous felony convictions in Riverside County -- committing a robbery and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
