Corona Daycare Worker Suspected of Molesting Children Must Stand Trial

A Corona daycare worker accused of molesting two young girls must stand trial on felony charges, a judge ruled this week.

Miguel Flores Jr., 27, was arrested in October following an investigation into his alleged encounters with an 8-year-old and an 11-year- old, neither of whom were identified.

Following a preliminary hearing Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elisabeth Sichel found there was sufficient evidence to bound Flores over for trial on four counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing multiple offenses against the same victims.

Sichel scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment in the case for March 26.

Flores is free on a $110,000 bond.

Flores is a former employee of the Bixby Oaks Daycare Center at 1421 Rimpau Ave., where he supervised children in an after-school program, according to Corona police Sgt. Kim Velasco.

Detectives received a complaint in early October alleging that Flores had molested an 11-year-old girl, Velasco said.

"Detectives interviewed (the child) and learned of specific incidents when the victim was alone with Flores," Velasco said.

According to the sergeant, investigators learned about a second potential victim and interviewed that youngster, who provided "specific information about Flores as well."

As the defendant prepared to leave the daycare center Oct. 8 to begin making his rounds, picking up children from various schools, he was taken into custody without incident and booked into jail. He posted bail soon afterward and was released.

—City News Service.