Man Arrested in ‘Heinous’ Golden Gate Park Sexual Assault of Child, SF Police Say

San Francisco police on Friday announced the arrest of a 19-year-old man in connection with the sexual assault of a child last week in Golden Gate Park.

Dominick Jeremiah Valle-Buitrago of San Francisco was booked Thursday night in county jail on suspicion of several felony offenses, including kidnapping, sexual battery and sexual battery of a minor.

“I know that this case has been incredibly troubling for the community where this occurred. The San Francisco police poured resources into this case to get the suspect in custody and bring peace of mind to parents, our youth and everyone else in San Francisco,” interim Police Chief Paul Yep said Friday during a press conference at SFPD headquarters.

The attack, which led to increased security measures at the park, took place Oct. 23 in a bathroom on the Polo Fields, police said.

The victim, a girl of an unidentified age, told her parents that a man groped her in the bathroom, and her family then reported it to the police.

Police originally identified three suspects, and investigators used DNA testing to confirm the identity of the assailant.

The investigation relied on a past incident on file that was related to the “heinous” incident in Golden Gate Park, Cmdr. Tom Maguire said. Yep added that a tip from a parent provided an “invaluable lead.”

Police surveilled the suspect and then arrested Valle-Buitrago in Pleasant Hill. San Francisco prosecutors will release a charging decision on Monday and an arraignment on Tuesday, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.

Since the attack, police officers with SFPD’s Richmond station have increased their presence in the Polo Fields, a sprawling grassy area often packed with youth sports clubs.

Mayor Daniel Lurie called the crime “extremely upsetting” and said any crime against San Francisco’s children is “unacceptable.”

KQED’s Eliza Peppel contributed to this report.