Man held in sex attack on girl, 5

An Orange County man has been arrested and charged in connection with a sexual attack on a 5-year-old girl over the weekend, the Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

The girl was playing outside Sunday with her 7-year-old brother in the 11700 block of Rancho Santiago Boulevard in unincorporated El Modena near Orange when a man picked her up, took her to an alley behind an apartment building, removed some of her clothes and kissed and touched her, the department said. The girl screamed, and the man fled.

Investigators located a witness, and a composite sketch of the suspect was made. The investigation, authorities said, led to Manuel Martinez Contreras, 35, who lives nearby. He has been charged with lewd and lascivious acts on a child, kidnapping to commit a sexual offense and oral copulation with a child under 10. Bail has been set at $500,000.

-- Christian Berthelsen