Convicted Sex Offender, 61, Accused Of Assaulting Developmentally Disabled Girl

EASTVALE (CBSLA.com) — A 61-year-old convicted sex offender has been arrested for sexually assaulting a child under 14.

In addition, authorities say the victim is developmentally disabled.

Officials say Ruben Aristides Mendez has been booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on suspicion of rape, sexual penetration of a child under 14 and sodomy of a mentally incompetent victim. He's being held in lieu of $85,000 bail.

The alleged assault happened earlier this week in the 5800 block of Hamner Avenue, according to Riverside County Sheriff's officials.

Deputies were dispatched to the residence and informed that a child had been sexually assaulted, said sheriff's Sgt. Mike Manning.

A follow-up investigation reportedly implicated Mendez, who resides in a nearby mobile home. Sheriff's investigators took him into custody after questioning.

Mendez has a prior conviction for sexual battery, according to the California Megan's Law database, which provides snapshot information on sex registrants.

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