$15K bail for man accused of sexual abuse of minor

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph Camacho has maintained the $15,000 bail that was initially set for a man who was arrested last week for allegedly touching the breast of his 13-year-old tenant and showing her his genitals.

During a bail hearing last Friday, Camacho retained the initial bail set for Renato T. Tabuena, 61, while Office of the Attorney General’s Chester Hinds, who represents the government, affirmed that the victim does not reside near the defendant’s proposed third-party custodian.

Tabuena, who is charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree, indecent exposure in the second degree, and disturbing the peace, was remanded back to the Department of Correction following the bail hearing and is scheduled to return to court today for a bail modification.

He was also scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 12 at 11am before Camacho and again on Aug. 23 at 9am before Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja for his arraignment.

According to court documents, Tabuena allegedly groped the breast of the 13-year-old girl while she was outside her home and was playing with outdoor cats. He also allegedly flashed the minor.

Separately, a police report states that Department of Public Safety responded last Aug. 3, at around 8:41pm, to a sexual abuse of a minor complaint in Kannat Tabla.

At the scene, responding officers met with the caller who told police that the victim told her that her landlord, Tabuena, touched her right breast.

She told police that the victim said Tabuena also grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch before taking his genitals out of his pants to show it to her.

During a forensic interview conducted by the Department of Youth Services with the victim on Aug. 4, the victim said she had stepped out of her house at around 8pm on Aug. 3 to play with the outdoor cats when she noticed Tabuena. The victim claims that Tabuena came to her and grabbed her right breast and squeezed it while she was kneeling and playing with the cats.

Then, when she removed Tabuena’s hand, the victim alleged that Tabuena tried to do it again but she stopped him. He then allegedly grabbed her arm and placed her hand on his inner thigh before she pulled her arm back. That’s when she claims Tabuena pulled his genitals out and showed it to her.