Man Arrested in Alleged Molestation of 5-Year-Old

A 33-year-old man was arrested on charges of felony child molestation Saturday after allegedly fondling his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter as they were driving down Harbor Boulevard on Friday, police said.

The man, Joey Hishmeh, reportedly was spotted by a female motorist at a stoplight at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Orangethorpe Street about 12:45 p.m., Lt. Tony Hernandez said.

“The woman saw [a man] fondling the child, got out of her car and confronted him,” Hernandez said. “He yelled obscenities at her and continued to fondle the child in front of her. He was being very defiant. Then he drove off.”

The woman, a resident of Fullerton, wrote down the license plate of the 1988 Toyota Tercel and drove to a telephone booth to contact police, Hernandez said.

About two hours later, an Anaheim police officer spotted the vehicle near Convention Way and West Street and pulled it over. A Fullerton investigator was called to the scene to interview the child, who said she had been molested, Hernandez said.

The child, who was given a medical examination, is being held in protective custody, police said.

Police said Hishmeh is a registered sex offender with prior convictions for various sex crimes. He is being held at Fullerton City Jail on suspicion of child molestation. Bail has been set at $50,000.

Hernandez praised the woman who brought the situation to the attention of police.

“We had a really alert witness who took the time to get involved,” he said. “She was absolutely a good citizen who even showed up at the police station later to give a statement.”