HIALEAH (CBSMiami.com) – A Cuban artist in the US for a brief visit to show his work at a Miami Beach art show has had his stay extended indefinitely, after he was charged Monday with molesting a 5-year-old Hialeah boy.
Augustin Bejarano was arrested at the Miami home of a friend Monday by Hialeah police officers and charged with Lewd and Lascivious molestation.
He had been under investigation since March 25th, after the parents of the boy reported the alleged molestation to Hialeah police.
Spokesperson Carl Zogby said Bejarano visited friends in Hialeah March 20th, just days after his arrival from Cuba, and allegedly molested the boy while he was visiting.
After the boy told his parents about the incident and they notified police, he was interviewed Monday by experts at Kristi House, a center for abused children. Those experts concluded the boy’s account of what happened was accurate, and police moved immediately to arrest Bejarano.
Bejarano has been in the US since March 17th on a visitor’s visa, so he could exhibit art at the “Art of the Americas” show in the Miami Beach Convention Center.
He was scheduled to return to Cuba April 15th.
If convicted, Bejarano could face life in prison. He was ordered held without bond, and US immigration officials were notified.
