A 64-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a minor while acting as the child’s foster caregiver, as well as allegedly assaulting additional underage victims, was taken into custody Tuesday.
Sergio Avalos Perez of Desert Hot Springs was located on Tuesday in the 44000 block of Town Center Way, near Fred Waring Drive, where deputies from the Palm Desert Station Robbery Suppression Team took him into custody without incident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
Perez was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of various charges of sexual assault of a minor and was being held on $2 million bail.
Deputies began investigating allegations of child abuse at the foster home on Dec. 10 and notified Child Protective Services, prompting the removal of all children from the residence.
“During the investigation, it was determined that a minor who was placed in foster care at the home had been sexually assaulted by the caregiver,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are encouraging them to come forward.
Anyone with information about the case was urged to call Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station Investigator Iniguez at 760-836-1600.