Santa Ana man arrested on suspicion of lewd acts on a minor who had been reported missing

A Santa Ana man has been arrested on suspicion of lewd acts on a 15-year-old boy who had been reported missing, authorities said.

Emmanuel Sosa, 21, is suspected of giving the boy illegal drugs before sexually assaulting him, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies were dispatched to a Moreno Valley home after receiving a report of a missing juvenile, the department said. The boy was located a short time later in a confused and intoxicated state and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

During the investigation, deputies discovered that the boy had planned earlier to meet with the suspect whom he was communicating with on social media, authorities said.

Riverside County authorities alerted the Santa Ana Police Department, whose officers located and detained Sosa until sheriff’s investigators could arrest him.

Sosa was booked on suspicion of lewd acts with a minor and contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sex crime, authorities said. Investigators ask anyone with additional information about this incident to contact Investigator Buck at (951) 486-6700.