AVONDALE, AZ -- An Avondale man was indicted for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old girl in an abandoned laundry mat, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office on Monday.
Avondale police arrested Osvaldo Mercado-Ortiz, 22, on Sunday June 7 after the victim’s mother reported that her daughter had been sexually assaulted that same weekend.
When the suspect was arrested, he reportedly gave a false name to police officials and was put in jail without bond, spokesman for the County Attorney’s Office Mike Anthony Scerbo said. It is also believed that Mercado-Ortiz is in the United States illegally.
Mercado-Ortiz, who had two additional warrants for his arrest, was indicted for class two felonies of sexual conduct with a minor and dangerous crimes against children, and a class one felony of false reporting to law enforcement officials, according to officials.
Mercado-Ortiz lived in the same mobile home complex as the victim, which is located on West Main Street between Litchfield Road and 8th Street, according to police spokesman Rick Rodriguez.
The suspect sexually assaulted the girl in the complex’s laundry facility, according to what the victim told police.
"Crimes that hurt young children hurt an entire community as parents fear for the safety of their sons and daughters,” County Attorney Andrew Thomas said. “We thank Avondale Police for their quick action in arresting a suspect."
