Police Make 2 Arrests on Molestation Cases

made two arrests Tuesday related to sexual advances toward girls, the department reported Wednesday.

A registered sex offender from San Rafael was arrested Tuesday afternoon by Novato police after a girl told the police that a man had made sexual advances while she sat at a bus stop on South Novato Boulevard, police said.

Michael Raymond Ruiz, 53, was booked at Marin County Jail at 6 p.m. Tuesday about four hours after police found him near the bus stop near the intersection of South Novato Boulevard and Arthur Street.

A girl called police at 2:15 p.m. and said a man approached her at the bus stop and made sexual comments and physical advances. The girl left the area without further incident, and responding officers found that Ruiz matched the description given by the girl.

Before being booked, Novato police found that Ruiz, who listed his occupation as salesman, was carrying suspected narcotics. He was booked on possible charges of annoying or molesting a child with prior history, loitering where children are present and possession of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $250,000.

Earlier Tuesday, a woman reported to police that her 9-year-old daughter told her that she had been molested on multiple occasions last summer by her 15-year-old half-brother. The girl was 8 at the time of the alleged molestations, police said.

Novato police arrested the boy at 11:04 a.m. Tuesday in the 700 block of Redwood Boulevard near the intersection of South Novato Boulevard, and he was booked into Marin County Juvenile Hall in San Rafael. Detectives are continuing to investigate the case.