Man suspected of sexually assaulting RivCo child apprehended in Guatemala
A 51-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a Lake Elsinore girl and fleeing south of the border, where he was apprehended, was being held today on $2 million bail.
The suspect was booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning Wednesday on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault of a child, lewd acts on a minor and oral copulation of a child.
According to Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Reese, the man came under investigation in April 2017 after deputies were alerted to alleged inappropriate acts by the man involving the girl, whose identity was not disclosed.
The man "learned about the accusations and fled to Guatemala."
A warrant was issued for the suspect's arrest.
Earlier this month, law enforcement personnel in Guatemala, working in concert with federal and local authorities, were able to track down and arrest the man without incident. He was extradited back to the U.S., where county sheriff's deputies took him into custody and transported him to the Banning jail.
The case was under review by the District Attorney's Office.
The relationship between the man and the victim, if any, was not disclosed, and additional background information on the suspect was unavailable.
