Suspect in sexual battery arrested

An Immokalee man who authorities say is in the country illegally was arrested Wednesday for sexual battery on a 4-year-old girl.

Luis Alvarado

At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Luis Alvarado, 1414 Apple St., approached two sisters, 4 years old and 8 years old, who were playing in their back yard in Immokalee, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office reported. Alvarado, 48, then put his hand down the front of the 4-year-old’s underwear.

The girls ran into the house and woke up their grandmother, who confronted Alvarado. He denied touching the 4-year-old and walked away, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The names and addresses of the girls and their grandmother were not released because of the nature of the crime.

Deputies arrived at the house and got a description of Alvarado from the grandmother. She told the deputies that Alvarado is well-known in the neighborhood and walks with a limp, according to a Sheriff’s Office report. At about 7:50 p.m. deputies found Alvarado at the Miners Tex-Mex restaurant at 2307 Lake Trafford Road. Alvarado already had a trespass warning from the store, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Deputies brought the girls’ grandmother to the scene, where she positively identified Alvarado.

Alvarado was taken into custody and questioned about the incident. He denied touching the 4-year-old in the genital area. Alvarado was charged with sexual battery on a victim younger than 12, and trespassing.

Alvarado is not listed in the state of Florida’s online sexual offender database.