RICHMOND — A San Pablo dental assistant has been arrested and charged with molesting a child who was a patient, prosecutors said.
Bonerge Maldonado-Zaldana, 22, was arrested and charged with two counts of engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 10 and two counts of lewd act upon a child through force or fear. The charges are based on a report by the alleged victim’s mother after they visited the San Pablo Towne Centre Dental Office, where Maldonado-Zaldana worked, on April 5.
Police were at the dental office the next day, taking witness statements and collecting evidence, prosecutors said in a news release. Two days after that, a warrant was issued for Maldonado-Zaldana’s arrest.
Prosecutors say Maldonado-Zaldana is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility but his bail information was not immediately available. He is expected to enter a plea Monday afternoon, in the George D. Carroll Courthouse in Richmond.
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate Maldonado-Zaldana and the possibility additional victims exist. Before working at the San Pablo Towne Centre Dental Office, he was employed at the Western Dental in El Cerrito, police said.
The lead investigator, San Pablo Det. Ricky Vasquez, can be reached at 510-215-3286.
Source: www.mercurynews.com