COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A man accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old boy in a Little Village restaurant bathroom last year was arrested this week based on new DNA evidence.
David Vega, 45, admitted to molesting the boy when Vega was arrested in Downstate Edwardsville on Thursday, authorities said. He was charged with predatory criminal sexual abuse and held on $500,000 bail Friday.
The attack happened around 5 p.m. on April 26, 2014, inside Great China Buffet, 2531 W. Cermak Rd., according to police and prosecutors.
The child went by himself into the washroom, where Vega spoke Spanish to the child, pulled down the boy's pants and abused him, Assistant State's Attorney Akash Vyas said during a bond hearing Friday.
After the attack, the boy went back to his family's table and noticed Vega leave in a green car, Vyas said. He didn't tell his family what happened until the group was back home. At that point, Vyas said, the family went back to the restaurant and called police.
The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where police collected physical evidence.
Around March 24 of this year, the Illinois State Police positively matched Vega's DNA to the kit, prosecutors said. His DNA was on file from a 2007 California vandalism conviction; the state routinely collects DNA from anyone arrested on suspicion of a felony.
A warrant was issued in April, and Vega was arrested in Edwardsville this week.
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