San Francisco Police arrests suspect in child sexual assault in Golden Gate Park restroom
By Tim Fang
Police in San Francisco on Friday announced an arrest in connection with an alleged child sexual assault inside a restroom at Golden Gate Park.
At a news conference, Interim Police Chief Paul Yep announced the arrest of 19-year-old Dominic Valle-Buitrago of San Francisco in connection with an assault near the Polo Fields on Oct. 23. Yep said Valle-Buitrago was arrested in Pleasant Hill on Thursday.
“This case was an extremely high priority for us,” Yep said, adding that officers worked around the clock and the crime lab expedited the processing of DNA and other evidence.
Following the assault, Yep said they began to focus on the suspect after receiving a tip from a parent.
“The crime committed last week was extremely, extremely upsetting. The safety of our kids is not negotiable,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said at the news conference.
“For so many families, Golden Gate Park is a place of joy. It’s where our kids, including my own, go to play and to grow. Like any parent, I want to know that my kids are going to be safe when they go, and every family deserves that,” the mayor added.
“I know what this has done, and how this has rocked the parent community, the soccer community across our city,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who said her own children have played soccer on those fields. “This is one step forward to making sure that parents across this city are reassured that when we take our children to practice, that they will be safe.”
Parents told CBS News Bay Area that the assault took place as a child went to use the restroom while children were at soccer practice nearby.
“You never want to think that that can happen,” said Clark Mariotti, whose child practiced soccer not far from where the incident happened.
San Francisco Youth Soccer sent out a statement saying they’re heartbroken and sent out reminders to families about taking extra precautions.
Following the assault, officials with the Recreation and Park Department increased safety measures, which include stationing a park ranger near the restrooms during afterschool hours on weekdays, conducting spot checks and installing a security camera in the area. Police had also increased patrols in the Richmond District.
Valle-Buitrago was booked into the San Francisco County Jail. He is being held on suspicion of multiple charges, including kidnapping, lewd act upon a child, sexual battery, assault and false imprisonment.
