Former Olympic gold medalist and Eastside hero Paul González has been arrested on suspicion of lewd acts on a 13-year-old girl he coached at an East Los Angeles boxing club.
González, 53, was arrested on Dec. 29, several outlets reported on Thursday. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he is facing eight felony charges, four of which are lewd acts on a child.
For the last 10 years he worked for the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department and was the head boxing coach at the Eddie Heredia Boxing Club in East Los Angeles. The victim is a girl he coached at the club who reported the allegations to authorities late in 2017. The girl began attending the club early last year and authorities said the lewd acts were committed over a period of time.
Authorities fear there may be other victims –considering the time the hometown hero worked at the club– and are asking them to come forward. They asked anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273 or (877) 710-LASD.
#HappeningNow #LASD Dets seek public’s help in seeking additional victims in case . Susp arrested for lewd acts on a child. pic.twitter.com/ODKSDaJls3
— LA County Sheriff’s (@LASDHQ) January 5, 2018
The other charges González faces are attempted lewd acts on a child, possession or control of child pornography, distribution or showing pornography to a minor and contact with a minor for sex offense. He is being held at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.
González won the light flyweight gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Born in Texas but raised in East Los Angeles, he became a local hero after the win and was immortalized in the downtown mural El Nuevo Fuego by East Los Streetscapers.
He retired from boxing in 1991 after a brief professional career.
