Man Arrested For Breaking Into 13-Year-Old Fontana Girl's Bedroom

FONTANA (CBSLA) – A 21-year-old man has been arrested on charges of breaking into the bedroom of a 13-year-old girl in Fontana last week and pleasuring himself, and authorities suspect he may have several more possible victims who he targeted through an Inland Empire dance studio.

Jonathan Emmanuel Ward was arrested Aug. 30 at his home in the 7000 block of Nebraska Street, the same day as the alleged incident, according to Fontana police. He is charged with child annoyance, indecent exposure and burglary, according to inmate records.

He had previously been arrested on similar charges in Fontana back in 2017, police said.

In the early morning hours of Aug. 30, a man broke into the second-floor bedroom of a 13-year-old girl in the 14100 block of Stanislaus Court and began masturbating, police said.

When the girl awoke to find the suspect looming over her, she screamed, which sent him running out of the home, police disclosed. Responding officers were unable to immediately find him. Ward was arrested later that night.

Surveillance video taken from inside the victim's home captured footage of the suspect, who at one point looked directly into a camera and placed his finger over his lips in a "shh" gesture, police said.

After his arrest, investigators determined that he had focused his attention on a specific Inland Empire dance studio where he "became infatuated with several young girls," according to a statement from police.

He was able to find the girls' addresses through photos posted to social media, police believe. He would break in through the backyard by finding an unlocked door.

Ward is being held on $1 million bail. A news conference was scheduled for Wednesday morning.