Suspect arrested in sexual assault at South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa police have arrested a man who turned himself in to authorities in connection with a report of a sexual assault at South Coast Plaza.
Eduardo Vidal Avalos, 20, of Orange was booked into Costa Mesa City Jail on Friday on suspicion of assault with intent to commit a felony and attempted penetration with a foreign object, police said.
Police suspect Avalos followed a 24-year-old woman to her car shortly after 5:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and began forcibly touching her. The woman was able to fight him off and was not injured.
On Wednesday, police publicized security camera footage from the Costa Mesa shopping center that showed a man wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts, gray shoes and a blue hat with a white logo.
Avalos turned himself in to Santa Ana police the following day after an acquaintance saw the footage on social media and alerted him.
Avalos is being held with bail set at $100,000.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
