MAN ARRESTED FOR MULTIPLE LEWD ACTS NEAR LOCAL SCHOOL

Published: 05/09/2025

MAN ARRESTED FOR MULTIPLE LEWD ACTS NEAR LOCAL SCHOOL

RIVERSIDE, CA – In late January 2025, a Riverside Police Officer assigned to our School Resource Officer Unit launched an investigation after receiving reports of a male suspect engaging in lewd behavior inside a vehicle near a local high school in Riverside. Three female victims reported witnessing the man masturbating inside a black Mercedes-Benz parked next to Abraham Lincoln High School in the Eastside neighborhood.

During the investigation, the School Resource Officer identified the suspect as 37-year-old Francis Ledesma Castillo of Garden Grove.

With assistance from the Sexual Assault – Child Abuse Unit, the Crime Analysis Unit, and the METRO Team, Mr. Ledesma Castillo was located and contacted in Garden Grove on May 1st.  A search warrant was obtained and served at his residence, where several unregistered firearms, including an illegally manufactured AR-style rifle and armor-piercing ammunition were discovered. Mr. Ledesma Castillo was arrested and later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on multiple charges, including annoying or molesting children, indecent exposure, and various weapons violations.

“We believe Mr. Ledesma Castillo may have committed similar lewd acts in his black Mercedes-Benz near many other schools across Riverside and Orange counties over the past year,” said Captain Chad Milby, who oversees the Investigations Division. “It’s likely there are additional victims who have not yet come forward.”

Anyone with additional information is urged to contact School Resource Officer Francisco Madrigal at (951) 826-5638 or [email protected], or Detective Andre Sanchez at (951) 353-7133 or [email protected].  You can also send an anonymous tip through the Riverside Police Department’s "Atlas 1" mobile app, which offers a secure "Send a Message" feature.  The app is available for download both APPLE and ANDROID devices.