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Man Arrested, Charged In Attack On Young Girl Outside Dance Studio

THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Thornton arrested a man wanted in an attack last month on a teen outside a dance studio.

Police arrested Ruben Jesus Sifuentes and he has been charged with sexual assault on a child and aggravated sexual assault on a child in connection to the Dec. 16, 2015 incident outside the Urban Acrobatics studio.

Ruben Jesus Sifuentes
Ruben Jesus Sifuentes (credit: Thornton Police)

Police say the 13-year-old victim had just left a dance class in the 700 block of W. 84th Avenue around 7 p.m. on Dec. 16. She was walking with her friend and her friend's mom to their car in the parking lot, when they saw a strange man lurking outside.

The young victim fought off her attacker by kicking him in the face, while her friend's mom pulled her from the car. The suspect ran off.

Police believe Sifuentes, 26, of Aurora is that man. Investigators released a sketch of the suspect.

Thornton Sketch
A sketch of the sexual assault suspect (credit: Thornton Police)

Police also released a surveillance picture of the man they were looking for. The photo showed a man wearing a construction vest and hard hat.

thornton sex assault surv pic. jpg
Surveillance photo of sexual assault suspect wanted in Thornton (credit: Thornton Police)

Sifuentes has been incarcerated in the Adams County Detention Facility since Dec. 30, 2015 in reference to other charges. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Adams County Court on Jan. 19.

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