MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 71-year-old man -- who Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl at a church-- appeared in court on Tuesday.

Ricardo Ochoa, who turns 72 on Nov. 27, and the 11-year-old victim are both members of the Miami Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church, according to deputies.

“The victim disclosed to her grandmother and mother that while attending church service, she was sexually assaulted by the defendant,” a deputy wrote about the Sunday incident, according to an arrest report.

While at the church at 2500 NW 50 St., in the Brownsville neighborhood, Ochoa approached the girl, asked her age, and “complimented her on her looks,” a deputy wrote, records show.

During Ochoa’s attack, “the victim attempted to push the defendant away but was unsuccessful,” the deputy wrote. “At one point, the victim was able to break free and ran into the women’s restroom to escape.”

Deputies questioned Ochoa, who was born in Honduras and lives in Gladeview, and they arrested him at the special victims bureau in Doral after he “reserved his right to speak,” records show.

Correctional deputies booked Ochoa on Monday night at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He faced a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child who is 16 or younger. His bond was $7,500.

Man accused of lewd or lascivious conduct on a child at church in Miami-Dade

About The Author

Andrea Torres