Man Mistaken For Child Predator, Beaten At Bar

NORCO, CA — A Corona man who was mistaken for a child predator was beaten by two men at a Norco bar, police said.

The attackers believed that the victim, Kevin Martin, was the man police suspected of making sexual comments to an 11-year-old girl in May in Corona, based on a computer-generated composite sketch authorities released Thursday.

Martin told KTLA5 that he was strangled and punched at least 20 times by the two men on Thursday night outside Slick's Billiards.

One person was arrested for the attack, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Corona police had previously interviewed Martin and determined he was not the culprit in the child annoyance case, KTLA5 reported.

Police are still searching for the suspect who made the sexual comments to the girl on May 22 near the corner of Curry Court and Parkview Drive.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic man in his 20s with a thin build, black hair and brown eyes. Detectives said he may have a golden retriever and was seen in a blue vehicle with tinted windows, possibly a Toyota Prius hatchback.

Anyone with information about the incident was urged to contact Detective Mark DeRuyter at 951-279-3574 or Mark.DeRuyter@CoronaCA.gov.

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--City News Service