A probationer accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 7-year-old Moreno Valley girl must stand trial on nearly a dozen felony charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Ruben Arguello Jr., 42, was arrested in July following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun found there was sufficient evidence to bound Arguello over for trial on four counts of oral copulation of a child under 10 years old, two counts each of forcible lewd acts on a minor and sexual penetration of a child, and one count of witness intimidation, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of taking advantage of a position of trust to commit a criminal offense.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for April 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Alfredo Medina said that deputies received information early last July regarding the alleged sexual abuse of a child at a residence within the city and initiated an investigation.
“The investigation revealed an assault occurred in Moreno Valley, and additional assaults took place out of the county,” Medina said.
The girl’s identity and the defendant’s specific relationship to her were not disclosed.
The findings culminated in an arrest warrant being obtained and served on Arguello at his house on Avenida De Loring, where he was taken into custody without incident on the afternoon of July 19.
According to court records, he has a prior misdemeanor conviction for disturbing the peace.