A man accused of lewd acts upon a child at the Valencia mall pleaded not guilty in court last week. He returns to court Thursday for a preliminary setting.
Andres Madrigal, 69, of Saugus, was arrested after a reported incident in a public restroom, near the Solitas restaurant on Dec. 27, according to officials.
The alleged incident involving a man who inappropriately touched a boy was reported to the Sheriff’s Station at 2:55 p.m., according to Ed Luna of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
The parent sensed something was wrong, talked to the child and contacted mall security, officials said on the day of the alleged felony. Mall officials were able to detain the suspect at the restroom until deputies arrived, officials said.
Madrigal was suspected of one count of committing a “lewd or lascivious act upon and with the body and certain parts of … a child under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions and sexual desires of the said defendant and the said child,” according to the criminal complaint filed with the District Attorney’s office in December.
If convicted, Madrigal would be forced to register as a sex offender, which would then become visible to the public on the Megan’s Law Database.
During his arraignment held at the San Fernando Courthouse on Dec. 31, Madrigal entered a plea of not guilty to the single count.
If convicted of the charge and depending on the severity of the case, Madrigal could be sentenced anywhere from three to eight years in state prison. Madrigal was being held in lieu of 100,000.
