Sleepy Eye man, 48, accused of fondling pre-teen girl

(New Ulm, MN) – A Sleepy Eye man is facing criminal charges, accused of inappropriately touching a young girl.

Salvador Reyna Arista III, 48, of Sleepy Eye, was charged in Brown County Court with three felony counts of 2nd-degree criminal sex conduct with a victim under 13 years of age.

According to the criminal complaint, on March 4th, the victim reported sexual abuse by Arista (nicknamed “Chava”) on three separate occasions while she was between the ages of 11 and 12.

The victim said during an interview at Brown County Human Services that the first incident had happened at her father’s Water Street home when she was 11.  She said she went to sleep in her room and woke up to Arista with his hands “all over her butt,” according to the complaint.

A second incident occurred at her father’s Walnut Street home, according to the complaint.  The girl said she was in her room sleeping when Arista took her shirt off and touched her breasts with his hands.

The third incident also happened at the father’s Walnut Stree home, according to the complaint.  The victim said at the start of the 2018 school year, she went to sleep in her father’s room when she was pulled by her feet to the edge of the bed.  The victim said Arista again groped her bottom while she was clothed.

The girl told of another incident where she saw Arista run out of her room, according to court documents.

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