Prosecutors say a California father who decided to check on his autistic son’s therapy session found his boy being molested by the very therapist he’d hired to help him.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office reported that when the dad went to his son’s bedroom in their Garden Grove home he found Salvador Armando Arriaga, 32, an in-home therapist, in a walk-in closet with his son.
The boy’s pants were down, and Arriaga was allegedly on his knees in front of the child, police said.
The father had become suspicious when he no longer heard talking coming from his son’s bedroom and decided something did not seem right.
Authorities have not released the victim’s age, stating only that he was under the age of 14.
Arriaga, who worked for Behavioral Health Works in nearby Anaheim, previously had several sessions with the boy in the home.
When the father confronted Arriaga, the therapist tried to climb out of the bedroom window but could not do it, the DA’s report stated. Instead, he fled through the door, prompting the dad to call police.
Prosecutors allege that Arriaga changed his shirt and returned to the residence while officers were present at the scene, apparently in an effort to provide an innocent explanation for the incident.
The alleged molestation took place in September. A lengthy investigation resulted in the charges being filed last week.
Prosecutors charged Arriaga with one felony count of lewd and lascivious act on a child under the age of 14 as well as an allegation that he went into the child’s home with the intent to molest him.
Arriaga’s defense attorney, Jacqueline Goodman, said her client “is entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.”
‘We are thoroughly investigating and will address all charges in court, where facts, not prejudicial narratives, should prevail,’ Goodman explained, as reported by ABC7.
Arriaga faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life if convicted and is currently being held on $1 million bail.
Authorities are asking for anyone with additional information about Arriaga or any other potential victims to contact the Garden Grove Police Department.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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