Man Arrested After Groping Girl Waiting For Bus To LA County School: Police

PASADENA, CA — A 57-year-old Palmdale man was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of groping a 12-year-old girl while she was sitting waiting for a bus in Pasadena, according to the Pasadena Police Department.

The girl, a Pasadena resident, was sexually assaulted by a man while she was sitting on bench near where Lake Avenue crosses the 210 Freeway at around 7:25 a.m. Wednesday. The man fled the area on a bike, heading south on Lake Avenue, police said.

Police said the girl "was not injured." The girl, who was heading to school, boarded a bus moments after the assault. She called her mother from school, police said.

Her mother took the girl home and reported the incident to police, according to the PPD.

Detectives obtained surveillance video which allowed them to identify a person of interest, police said.

Farris Tollette, 57, of Palmdale, was detained at around 7 a.m. Saturday and later booked on suspicion of child molestation, police said.

Tollette is being held on $150,000 bail, according to jail records.

City News Service contributed to this report.