23-year-old man accused of molesting 8-year-old Los Banos girl

April 20, 2011


A 23-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly molesting an 8-year-old girl for three years, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported.

Detective Dustin Witt began investigating suspect Oscar Garcia earlier this month, after the victim came forward and said he's been touching her inappropriately. Garcia's the boyfriend of the victim's older sister and has been living at her Los Banos residence for the last month, according to Deputy Tom MacKenzie, sheriff’s spokesman.

Witt discovered Garcia had been abusing the victim since she was 5 years old at various locations in the Los Banos area.

The detective obtained an arrest warrant for Garcia and waited for him at Los Banos Human Services Agency on Tuesday. Garcia had an appointment to visit with his son, who was placed with foster parents prior to the molestation case.

When Garcia arrived, Witt took him into custody without incident, MacKenzie said.

It’s unknown why the suspect's son is with foster parents, but there’s no open investigation by the sheriff’s department into misconduct regarding the boy.

The victim is being cared for by Merced County Child Protective Services.

An illegal immigrant from Mexico, Garcia was booked on the warrant and remains without bail at the Merced County Jail.


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