Man Arrested on Suspicion of Groping Santee Schoolgirl
SANTEE, Calif.—A 29-year-old man was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of accosting and groping a 12-year-old girl near her eastern San Diego County school, authorities said May 20.
Jose Lawrence Ruvalcaba was booked Friday on one felony count of lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14 years old with force, according to Lt. Anthony O’Boyle of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Ruvalcaba was being held on $250,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned in the El Cajon Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The alleged attack took place just before 4 p.m. May 18 near Big Rock Park in the 8100 block of Arlette Street, the lieutenant said.
A 12-year-old student from Chett F. Harritt School was walking toward the park when a man approached her and touched her chest, O’Boyle said. A friend who was with the victim tried to intervene by pushing away the suspect, who took off on an electric black and gray scooter, authorities said.
An employee at the Santee Teen Center, also located at Big Rock Park, called the sheriff’s department just before 6:30 p.m. Friday when he saw a man who matched the all-black clothing description of the suspect and his scooter.
Deputies with the Santee sheriff’s station caught up to the suspect near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Ellsworth Circle. The man matched the description of a suspect who was captured in surveillance video following the attack, according to sheriff’s officials.
