HAYWARD — A 49-year-old Hayward man has been charged with sexually abusing a girl multiple times, beginning when she was 8 years old, after her family hired him as a handyman, court records show.
The girl, now in her teens, kept the molestation to herself until recently. She was scared to come forward because Villanueva was in a position of trust and due to her trauma, authorities say. Prosecutors allege that the first act of molestation occurred when the girl was 8 years old, when Villanueva allegedly grabbed her in the backyard, took her to a secluded area on the property and inappropriately touched her. The girl reportedly told police that he covered her mouth when she tried to scream for help and threatened to hurt her if she told on him.