Man arrested for groping young girls on bus

SANTA ANA, Calif. Jose Antonio Hernandez, 45, of Santa Ana, is charged with two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance and two misdemeanor counts of battery, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Investigators say that on April 19, Hernandez approached an 11-year-old girl as she traveled home on a bus in Santa Ana. Hernandez allegedly stood behind the child and pulled her back so her body was almost touching his. Deputies say the girl managed to pull away and moved to another part of the bus.

Prosecutors say a similar incident occurred the next day when Hernandez is accused of riding a bus on the same route and approaching a 13-year-old girl.

He is being held on $10,000 bail. If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of three years in jail.

Investigators believe there may be other boys and girls who have been victimized by the suspect. Anybody with information on such an incident was asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 1-866-TIP-OCSD (1-866-847-6273).

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