TORRANCE -- A 66 year old former day care owner has been convicted of molesting two young girls, authorities announced Monday.
Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Tito Richard Ruiz of two counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14.
The victims were ages 4 and 6 at the time of the offenses.
Authorities learned about the crimes after the 6-year-old girl's father asked her why she grabbed her chest while being dried off after a bath, according to Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link.
Investigators then found the second victim, whose genital area was touched, Link said.
Both girls testified at Ruiz's trial last Thursday.
Ruiz testified that he touched a girl, now 7, on her breast by accident when he pushed her away from him.
He also told the jury he touched a then-4-year-old girl over her clothes on her groin to see if she had had an accident.
During an interview with a sex crimes detective, however, Ruiz acknowledged that he touched them because he was curious and said he knew it was wrong. Ruiz later said he made the admissions during the interview because he was nervous and didn't know what was going on.
Ruiz is being held without bail, and faces a maximum state prison term of 10 years.
Ruiz and his wife operated the Ruiz Family Daycare in the 4900 block of West 133rd Street, a licensed day-care facility.
Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Tito Richard Ruiz of two counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14.
The victims were ages 4 and 6 at the time of the offenses.
Authorities learned about the crimes after the 6-year-old girl's father asked her why she grabbed her chest while being dried off after a bath, according to Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link.
Investigators then found the second victim, whose genital area was touched, Link said.
Both girls testified at Ruiz's trial last Thursday.
Ruiz testified that he touched a girl, now 7, on her breast by accident when he pushed her away from him.
He also told the jury he touched a then-4-year-old girl over her clothes on her groin to see if she had had an accident.
During an interview with a sex crimes detective, however, Ruiz acknowledged that he touched them because he was curious and said he knew it was wrong. Ruiz later said he made the admissions during the interview because he was nervous and didn't know what was going on.
Ruiz is being held without bail, and faces a maximum state prison term of 10 years.
Ruiz and his wife operated the Ruiz Family Daycare in the 4900 block of West 133rd Street, a licensed day-care facility.
