(Jose Trinidad Tavarez: Santa Ana Police Department)
Jose Trinidad Tavarez, 51, is being accused of sexually assaulting a young girl at Oasis Christian Church in Santa Ana on Sunday. Tavarez was arrested Monday and booked on suspicion of child molestation at the Orange County Jail, where he is being held on $100,000 bail.
Tavarez allegedely molested a 4-year-old girl while she attended a service on Sunday. The suspect in question went into a separate room where children, including the 4-year-old were playing while the parents attended the service.
As the girl's mother left for the service, "she noticed that the suspect in this case is entering into the room where he's the only adult with the children in that room," Cpl Anthony Bertagna told KTLA.
The little girl later told her mother what happened as they were driving home.
The father of three actually works at the church as a handyman and security guard and was well known by many in the congregation as a 'former drug addict who was trying to turn his life around through God.' Authorities say he has been living in a van across the street from the church, but the van has since been impounded.
Santa Ana police believe there may be other victims as well.