September 3, 2015 - FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Marcus Anthony Maluhia Araiza Jr., 18, of Rancho Cucamonga, charging him with aggravated sexual abuse of a child and abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to allegations in a criminal complaint previously filed against Araiza, during the early morning hours of August 26, 2015, National Park Service rangers responded to a call that an 11-year-old boy was molested while in a restroom at Camp Curry in Yosemite National Park. The boy reported being in the restroom when an unknown man grabbed him and touched his genitals. The boy was able to escape from the bathroom get to his mother. Flyers posted in Curry Village led to Araiza’s arrest later that morning.
This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Frye is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Araiza faces a statutory penalty of up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: DOJ