Restaurant cook arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting underage girl
A 34-year-old Riverside man was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexually assaulting an underage girl in a restaurant restroom.
Avimael Lopez, a cook for the Punjab Palace at 1766 University Ave. in Riverside, was arrested and booked into the Riverside County Jail. Police were called after the mother of the girl found Lopez inside the restroom with her daughter.
Ryan Railsback, a spokesman for the Riverside Police Department, said Lopez’s bail was set at $2 million. Railsback said Lopez had no prior arrest or sexual assault history in Riverside County.
The Punjab Palace on University Avenue is within a mile from UC Riverside. Owners of the restaurant could not be reached for comment.
The victim was described by Railsback as a minor under the age of 10.
“She went in there to use the restroom,” he said. “What caught Mom’s attention was that she was in there longer than usual. It probably wasn’t more than a couple of minutes.”
alexia.fernandez@latimes.com
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