Denton mom says son was sexually assaulted in local restaurant
DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – A Denton mom is warning local parents to be on high alert after she says her son was sexually assaulted in the bathroom of a Chili's.
The mom says it took three to five minutes for her 7-year-old son to be reportedly assaulted by a stranger. She asked not to reveal her identity, but she wants you to hear her story.
"I asked him, 'What took you so long?' and he's like, 'Well I was talking to the man,' 'What do you mean you were talking to a man?' and he's like, 'The man that helped me.'"
"I was like, 'What do you mean he helped you go to the bathroom?' he was like, 'Well he helped me pull my pants down, he helped me go to the bathroom, he helped me pull my pants back up.' And that's when I was like, oh my gosh and I had asked him, 'Did he touch you?' and he was like, 'Well yeah mom, that's how you help someone go to the bathroom,' and that's when my heart dropped."
She immediately reported the incident to the manager and Denton police.
Police said they cannot release any details, because it is a sensitive and ongoing investigation.
Chili's sent CBS 11 this statement, saying in part:
"We're taking this reported incident seriously, and we have been cooperating with police in their investigation as we work to understand more about what happened."
Chili's also said they do not believe the incident involved a Chili's employee.
Police are now trying to locate the man in question, but the mother says her son's description is vague.
Police tell her the restaurant does not have surveillance cameras, but they are trying to get video from surrounding businesses.
This provides little comfort for this distraught mother. She says her son is not traumatized.
"I want this guy found, because if he's willing to do it in a busy Chili's that at any moment someone could walk in that bathroom, he has he done it before."
If you were at the Chili's in Denton near I-35E and Loop 288 on the evening of Oct. 21 and have any information, you can reach out to the Denton Police Department at (940) 349-8181.