Central Community Transit bus driver facing charges for allegedly touching juvenile during route

Mark Wasson, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read

May 6—WILLMAR — A Central Community Transit bus driver is facing criminal charges after allegedly touching an 11-year-old girl on his bus during one of his routes, according to court documents.

Rolando Perez Menchaca, 52, of Willmar, had an initial appearance Wednesday in front of Eighth District Judge Stephanie Beckman for a felony second-degree criminal sex conduct charge with a victim under 13 and a gross misdemeanor fifth-degree criminal sex conduct charge for nonconsensual contact related to the April incident.

During his first appearance, Menchaca was granted a public defender and bail was set at $50,000 with no conditions.

Menchaca was also able to be released with no bail under the conditions that he stays a reasonable distance away from the alleged victim's residence; has no contact with female minors; does not leave the state without written court approval; has no contact with the alleged victim or her family; does not use or possess alcohol, drugs, firearms, ammunition or explosives; and that he submits to urine analysis.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Menchaca was still in custody at the Kandiyohi County Jail.

Menchaca is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on Aug. 10.

According to the criminal complaint, Menchaca allegedly grabbed the girl's buttocks multiple times the afternoon of April 27 after he pulled into a parking lot between Harvest Church and General Mailing in Willmar.

Video surveillance footage captured Menchaca asking the juvenile, who was the last passenger on the bus, to adjust some seats and appears to show him grabbing her buttocks with his left hand.

The juvenile confirmed to her mother and law enforcement that Menchaca, who started as a bus driver with CCT in November, forcefully grabbed her buttocks multiple times.

The Willmar Police Department learned of the report April 28 and spoke to CCT Director Tiffany Collins and CCT Operations Coordinator Douglas Sweeter who told an officer about what transpired.

When contacted by the West Central Tribune, Sweeter declined to answer questions related to the incident, directing questions to Collins who did not immediately respond to a voicemail regarding the incident.

Menchaca was arrested May 3 and told law enforcement he knew why police wanted to speak with him.

According to the complaint, Menchaca told police that he unintentionally touched the juvenile's buttocks two times.

After viewing the video of him touching the juvenile, Menchaca said, "Oh that was it," and identified himself and the juvenile as the people in the video.

Menchaca said he was trying to grab a latch and that was why he unintentionally touched the juvenile's buttocks.

"After pointing out his actions on the video and there was no latch near where his hand went Menchaca did not offer up another explanation," reads part of the complaint.

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