Man Accused Of Molesting A Child At His Wife's Daycare Had A Prior Accusation
MARYSVILLE (CBS13) — A man accused of molesting a four-year-old at a daycare facility last year was never removed, and now a second young child said she was molested this week.
The suspect, who is the husband of an in-home daycare operator, was charged in both cases Friday.
Despite investigations last year by both the state daycare licensing agency and police, the daycare remained open and the suspect was allowed to stay in the home with access to kids until a second child came forward on Tuesday. Investigators are now looking for other possible victims.
The Ward family is in disbelief. They had no idea the husband of their long-time daycare provider, a family friend, was accused last year of molesting a child at the facility. The family found out after their five-year-old came home with stomach-turning accusations of her own.
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CBS13 stopped by Leonor Family Child Care in Marysville Friday, but the owner, Leonor Herrejon, would not answer the door. Her husband, Luis Herrejon-Ubais, is now facing four child sex abuse charges, accused of molesting at least two children at her daycare.
The first complaint came from a four-year-old in August 2018. An investigator for the Department of Social Services found while "the allegations may have happened" there was not enough evidence to revoke the daycare license.
The investigators' description downplays the severity of the allegation, and as of Friday, records indicate the facility is still licensed. Meanwhile, the DA said criminal "charges were not immediately filed" because "given the age of the girl" it was unlikely they could prove the charges based on her accusation alone.
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Fast forward to this week, when DNA evidence from the original alleged assault was finally processed, the DA got those results within days of the Wards' daughter coming forward. The family was in court Friday, horrified it's taken this long, and that no one warned them until now.
Herrejon-Ubais is facing four counts, each could carry a life sentence. The Department of Social Services, which handles daycare licensing, said it is investigating how this case was handled.
The state does not notify parents of situations like this. It is up to the daycare to post notices of investigations.