A Riverside County bishop suspected of sexually assaulting a teen and selling methamphetamine out of the church he served was in custody Wednesday, according to Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela.
Bishop Anthony Garduno, 51, was arrested Tuesday after investigators, following up on a Sexual Crimes Against Children call, served a search warrant at the church Our Lady of Tepeyac, reports showed. That church is located in an unincorporated area of Riverside County known as Home Gardens, near they city of Corona.
The victim not only reported being sexually assaulted by Garduno at the age of 17, but also said that other sexual assaults on underage boys had taken place at the church, as well as the selling of meth.
When serving the warrant, investigators found evidence that indicated Garduno was selling narcotics from the church, Valenzuela said.
"Additionally, investigators located evidence of possible sexual assaults having occurred at the church," she added.
Garduno was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside and was being held on $25,000 bail, according to jail records.
