Current and former pastors in Southern California arrested on allegations of child sexual abuse

RIVERSIDE – A 51-year-old former church pastor suspected of sexually abusing two brothers between 2009 and 2015 when the family lived with the clergyman at his Riverside home has been taken into custody, police said Thursday.

In late May, detectives received a report from one of the alleged victims in which the suspect was sexually assaulted, beginning when the victim was nine years old and continuing into his teenage years, according to Riverside police.

The victim's younger brother also reported similar alleged actions by the same suspect, who was once her pastor at the Iglesia de Dios Israelita in Fullerton, police said. Investigators later identified the suspect as Juan Barrios, who was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of multiple counts of sexual abuse.

Anyone with information about the alleged crimes or who would like to come forward with additional possible victims should contact Officer Kimberly Coronado at 951-353-7949 or KCoronadoRiversideCA.gov or Detective Christian Wilcox at 951-353-7133 or CWilcoxRiversideCA.gov.

In another case announced Wednesday, Ontario police said they had arrested a pastor suspected of sexually assaulting girls at his former Ontario residence.

Jose Alcides Vasquez, 47, of Menifee, was arrested Sept. 5 following an investigation that began with an August 2021 report from a high school administrator to a school police security officer. The administrator said a student claimed his neighbor sexually harassed her. Another reported victim came forward in July 2024 and additional evidence was collected, police said in a statement.

A police statement said Vasquez was active in various churches in the Inland Empire, serving as a pastor and volunteer until his arrest. Most recently, he was senior pastor of Camino De Santidad Church in Menifee, police said.

Police said anyone with information about the reported assaults or with information that could be helpful to investigators can contact Ontario Police at (909) 986-6711 or Detective J. Hernandez at (909) 408-1292.

City News Service contributed to this story.

Originally published: September 16, 2024 at 6:30 am

Current and former pastors in Southern California arrested on allegations of child sexual abuse

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