A community in Moreno Valley was left shocked following the arrest of a church pastor who was accused of sexually assaulting a child.
David Helbling, 79, of the Blessing Center First Assembly of God church, was arrested last week after the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station received a report of a sexual assault of a child. After serving a search warrant on the 23000 block of Hemlock Avenue, deputies found evidence related to the crime and took Helbling into custody.
The suspect is being held in custody with bail set at $2 million.
“I am speechless. I don’t know what to say,” said Yudy Perez, a Moreno Valley resident. “I would never imagine that we would be living so close to a predator like that. That gives me the chills.”
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
A member of the congregation told NBC4 the church would not be issuing a statement.
Jail records indicated a March 1 court appearance for Helbling. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Investigators believe there may be other victims.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Anyone with information on the case or who is a victim of Helbling is asked to contact Investigator McCracken at 951-486-6710.
