Home Gardens bishop, once victim, now suspect in molestations
Bishop Anthony Garduno was taken into custody Tuesday after investigators searched Our Lady of Tepeyac church located between Corona and Riverside.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Anthony Garduno
A bishop who was the victim of a high-profile assault in September at his Home Gardens church has been arrested after a man who is now an adult accused the clergyman of molesting him when he was 17, authorities said.
Bishop Anthony Garduno was taken into custody Tuesday after investigators searched Our Lady of Tepeyac church located between Corona and Riverside, said Deputy Herlinda Valuenzuela in a news release.
The victim, who is now an adult, reported being sexually assaulted when he was 17 by Garduno and told investigators he had knowledge of additional sexual assaults against underage males and the selling of methamphetamines by Garduno, Valenzuela said. During the search, investigators located evidence that Garduno was selling narcotics from the church and possible sexual assaults having occurred at the church.
Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez on Wednesday declined to describe the evidence of the molestations, but said investigators are confident there are multiple victims and that drugs may have been used on the victims.
“In some cases, the victims may have not known what happened to them,” Gutierrez said.
Garduno, 51, was booked on suspicion of a variety of charges, including drug related-charges and possession of stolen property. Gutierrez said the stolen property was a handgun.
Valenzuela said investigations are continuing to look into the alleged sexual assaults and is asking anyone with information or anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault at the location is asked to contact Investigator Birmingham or Investigator Pluimer at the Jurupa Valley Investigations Bureau at 951-955-2600. Their identity will be kept confidential.
Gutierrez said Garduno is a self-proclaimed bishop and the church is not connected to the Catholic Diocese, although the church is described as Catholic. One concern is that the church serves a congregation is predominately Hispanic, Gutierrez said, and some victims and their families may be afraid to come forward.
“They may be worried about contacting authorities,” Gutierrez said. “We are hoping to convince them to come forward.”
In September, Garduno was believed to be the victim of random violence when he was “attacked” by several suspects who assaulted him as part of a crime spree that investigators said stretched over several counties.
Gutierrez said investigators now believe Garduno was targeted by the suspects because they believed he had large amounts of money because of the drug sales from the church. He said the suspects likely knew of the drug sales.
“Whenever you have drug sale, you are going to have money there,” he said.
Garduno was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of drug sales and receiving stolen property. He was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, pending a court appearance set for Thursday.
Tags: Bishop Anthony Garduno, corona, Deputy Herlinda Valuenzuela, home gardens, Our Lady of Tepeyac, Riverside, Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, SWRNN
Email
Bookmark
READER COMMENTS
one comment
POST A COMMENT
* Required to comment
-
- Honest to God
15 - UPDATE: Fire in Wildomar at 15 acres; homes no longer threatened 11
- UPDATE: Valle Vista neighborhoods still closed after reports of gunfire; some residents stranded 10
- Look who's turning 1! SWRNN celebrates one-year anniversary 10
- 17-year-old Canyon Lake girl reported missing 8
- Prop 8 struck down by U.S. District judge in San Francisco today 6
- Local photographer will display work at MSJC Menifee campus Sept. 8 6
- Palm Desert DUI checkpoint nabs five drivers 5
- Police: Man uses bodily fluids to taint female co-worker's water bottle 5
- 'Ground Zero Mosque' furor not unlike debate over Temecula Islamic center 5
- Honest to God
-
- Temecula apartment fire confined to room; no injuries reported The fire was reported at 11:49 a.m. at the Morning Ridge Apartments in the 30660 Milky Way Drive.
- Man's cut-short prison sentence for 1983 killing of mother could be renewed Bruce Lisker, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for the 1983 of fatally beating and stabbing his 66-year-old mother, Dorka, at her Sherman Oaks home. He was 17 years old at the time and using drugs.
- Brush fire near Campo by Pacific Crest Trail spreads to 300 acres The blaze created highly visible black smoke as it spread to the edge of Star Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch and historical attraction.
- Los Angeles Unified votes to overhaul teacher evaluation process UTLA officials have been critical of a decision by the Los Angeles Times to post report cards for thousands of teachers, based on their students' scores on standardized tests.
- Menifee boy walks to save hearts after surviving rare heart condition In his short life, he has found something bigger to participate in each year -- the American Heart Association’s San Diego Heart Walk. Michael, along with Team Beat It members made up of family, friends and his past and present teachers, plans to walk in this year’s event on Sept. 19.
- Student who threatened community college professor in SD County arrested Oscar Torres, 22, also allegedly threatened the college community.
Comment by: Father Mahoney Posted: December 30, 2009, 9:13 pm
Proves that all you have to do is put up a sign that says ‘church’, then people give $$ and children to you.