Florida authorities have arrested a 77-year-old man and charged him with fondling a 7-year-old girl.
Eladio Alfonso Coalla was charged with child molestation and sexual assault on a minor after the victim, now 15, told Miami police that he touched her sexually underneath her clothing, WPLG reported.
The girl said that she was spending the night at Coalla’s home, the arrest report says. He told her she had to sleep in his bedroom because a chandelier had broken in the guest room, covering the bed with glass.
She said she went to sleep and woke up to Coalla putting his hand inside her pants. After pushing his hand away, she went back to sleep, telling detectives she thought nothing of it “because she was little,” the arrest report says.
The girl told police she had come forward now because Coalla “did the same thing to her cousin.”
WPLG did not say if the victim and Coalla were related or why she was spending the night as his home. The report did say that authorities contacted the Florida Department of Children and Families but did not mention an outcome.
The station also did not say if authorities were investigating the alleged incident involving the cousin.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Eladio Alfonso Coalla/Miami-Dade Corrections]