Police: Beach Park man accused of sexually assaulting intellectually disabled woman

A Beach Park man accused of sexually assaulting a woman with intellectual disabilities now is facing multiple felony charges, authorities said.

Alfredo De La Cruz, 70, of the 10200 block of West Fairbanks Avenue, was taken into custody Tuesday after an investigation by Lake County sheriff’s detectives, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. He is charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault of an intellectually disabled person; two counts of criminal sexual assault; and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of an intellectually disabled person.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a hospital May 17 after a woman, whom De La Cruz knew, reported her daughter had been assaulted by him, the release said.

Detectives learned the daughter is nonverbal, however, the mother had become suspicious of De La Cruz and placed a recording device to monitor her daughter, officials said, and found video of De La Cruz forcing her daughter into sexual acts.

Authorities said detectives also were able to obtain a search warrant and gather evidence related to the crime from De La Cruz’s home.