Gardena councilman arrested in girl's molestation
A Gardena councilman was arrested this morning on suspicion of lewd acts against a child under 14 years old, a Los Angeles County sheriff's investigator said.
Investigators arrested Oscar Medrano Jr., 47, at his Gardena jewelry store after a two-week investigation into allegations that the two-term councilman had molested a girl, said Sgt. Dan Scott of the Special Victims Unit.
Medrano has not yet been charged.
"The district attorney is reviewing everything," Scott said.
A man who answered the phone at Medrano's home would not comment on the arrest.
Medrano, a resident of Gardena for 44 years, was elected to the City Council in 2003 and served as mayor pro tem in 2006. A native from New York, Medrano has been managing his parents' store, Osmar Jewelry, since 1992, according to the Gardena city website.
Gardena's mayor, Paul Tanaka, is one of the highest-ranking officials in the Sheriff's Department.
jp.renaud@latimes.com
