Former San Jose daycare worker in custody on suspicion of child molestation

Police arrested a 36-year-old Lathrop man suspected of lewd acts and sex with minors at a former San Jose children’s daycare facility.

The alleged molestations happened while John Mario Cortez Jr. helped with the day-to-day care of children attending Growing in Grace Daycare at 3059 Centerwood Way, police said in a news release on Monday.

San Jose police identified three children who allege Cortez annoyed and/or molested them at the daycare facility while it was in operation, from 2013 through 2017. The victims’ ages range from 3 to 8 years old at the time of the incidents.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged Cortez with eight counts of lewd acts with a minor child under the age of 14 and one count of sex acts with a minor under 10 years old.

Anyone with information about the case, or other cases involving Cortez is asked to contact Detective Ramos #4371 of the San Jose Police Department at (408) 537-1397.