South Tahoe man arrested for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old

A 19-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexual crimes against a child in Tahoma, authorities said.

The victim was a 13-year-old female, said El Dorado County Sheriff Lt. Les Lovell in a press release.

Members of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office arrested Russell Gregory Lewis after he allegedly fled his father's residence on Jeffery Street in South Lake Tahoe.

Sheriff's deputies received information of a sexual assault on Tuesday morning and attempted to contact the man at the house, Lovell said.

"When deputies attempted to interview Lewis at the residence, Lewis ran out the back door," Lovell reported.

The alleged assault occurred on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, either on the evening of Feb. 22 or early the next morning, Lovell said.

Lewis is charged with felony charges of statutory rape and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, Lovell said.

During a post-arrest interview, Lewis allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim, but he said the sex was consensual.

The El Dorado District Attorney's Office will review the case.

"The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office recognizes the significant impact these types of events have upon our children," Lovell said. "We would remind parents to be actively involved in who their kids are with and where they are."