Crime & Safety
Man Pleads Not Guilty To Child Molestation Charges
Arturo Lucela of Alhambra is accused of exposing himself to a boy at the Marriott's Shadow Ridge in December.
An Alhambra denied allegations Tuesday that he exposed himself to a 16-year-old boy at the Resort.
Arturo Barnique Lucela, 51, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and molesting a child under 18, according to court records.
Lucela appeared in a courtroom Tuesday morning at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Riverside County Commissioner Gregory J. Olson set a pretrial hearing for March 22 and allowed Lucela to remain free on $3,500 bail.
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Lucela allegedly flashed the boy while in the sauna of the resort just before noon on Dec. 20, according to Palm Desert police.
If convicted, he would be forced to register as a sex offender.
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