Local business owner arrested on child sex charges
Local restaurateur Luis SolisDelgado, 44, of Idyllwild was arrested Thursday, April 27, on Acacia Avenue in Hemet and booked on five felony charges — one count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age and four counts of sodomy with a child under 10.
“I was informed detectives are actively working this case and, to avoid compromising the investigation, are not releasing details at this time,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez of the Media Information Bureau.
However, on Tuesday, May 2, the Riverside County District Attorney’s (DA) Office filed eight counts of felony in Riverside County Superior Court dating as far back as Aug. 12, 2015, when one of the children was well under age 10 and up until April 26, 2023, when the other child was under age 14. The victims are two female children, according to the complaint, and involved sexual intercourse or sodomy, or oral copulation.
Solis is currently being held at the Southwest Detention Center with cash bond recommended at $1 million. His arraignment was set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday after press time.
“Because there are multiple underage victims, the defendant faces a possible life sentence,” said District Attorney Information Specialist John Hall on Tuesday.
California judges instruct juries: “A defendant in a criminal case is presumed to be innocent. This presumption requires that the People prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” (Judicial Council of California Criminal Jury Instructions, no. 220.)
Jack Clark contributed to this story.
Update Tuesday afternoon:
At the arraignment this afternoon in Riverside County Superior Court, the accused pleaded not guilty to one felony charge with an enhancement and seven other felony charges.
The counts are:
- Over 18 engage in sexual intercourse/sodomy with child under 10.
Enhancement: victim vulnerable, which he denied.
2. Over 18 engage in sexual intercourse/sodomy with child under 10.
3. Lewd act with a child under 14.
4. Over 18 engage in sexual intercourse/sodomy with child under 10.
5. Over 18 engage in sexual intercourse/sodomy with child under 10.
6. Engage in oral cop[ulation] or sexual penetration with child under 10.
7. Engage in oral cop[ulation] or sexual penetration with child under 10.
8. Lewd act with child under 14.
The defendant has engaged private attorney Alejo Lugo of the Lugo Law Firm.
A Felony Settlement Conference (FSC) is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 8. The Riverside County DA’s Office defines at FSC it “… is set following the arraignment. An FSC is similar to a [Trial Settlement Conference – misdemeanor] and consists of exchanging discovery (information about the case) and attempting to negotiate a disposition. If the attorneys are unable to resolve the case then a Preliminary Hearing date is set.
