A man charged in the alleged molestation of a 9-year-old boy in a bathroom at Puente Hills Mall is an employee at Downtown Disney, a Disney Resort spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
Richard Matthew Camarena, 45, of Claremont was arrested Saturday in the July 8 incident at the mall in City of Industry, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The department’s Special Victims Bureau has asked for the public’s help locating possible additional victims.
Camarena works at a retail store at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, the shopping and entertainment complex free and open to the public adjacent to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park.
“He has been placed on administrative leave pending the resolution of the investigation,” the Disney Resort spokesperson said.
Camarena was charged Tuesday with one felony count of lewd act upon a child, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
The victim had gone to the movies with his family, the DA’s office said. After the movie, the family went into the mall, and the boy went to use the restroom there, according to a DA’s spokeswoman.
While the child was in a locked stall, he saw the door “wiggled open” and Camarena entered, the DA’s office said in a news release. Camarena allegedly touched the victim inappropriately.
The Sheriff’s Department on July 21 asked for help identifying a person of interest, publishing a photo of the man. Tips from the public and other investigation led to Camarena’s arrest two days later, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Camarena appeared in court in Pomona Tuesday. His arraignment was postponed to Thursday.
He is being held at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown L.A. on $100,000 bail, according to inmate records.
