Man charged with sexually assaulting boy in Little Village restaurant

A Little Village man was charged with sexually assaulting a 7-year-old boy at a Chinese restaurant last year after investigators were able to match his DNA to evidence recovered from the alleged attack.

The boy was with his family when he went to go to use the bathroom alone at the Great China Buffet restaurant and encountered David Vega on April 26, 2014, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Akash Vyas said.

Vega spoke to the boy in Spanish and had him close his eyes before partially pulling down his pants and underwear and sexually assaulting him, Vyas said.

The boy went back to his family’s table at the restaurant, at 2531 W. Cermak Road, and saw Vega leave in a green car, Vyas said.

When the boy went home, he told his family what had happened.

They went back to the restaurant and ended up calling police.

The boy was then taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where evidence was collected, Vyas said.

Last month, the Illinois State Police notified the Chicago Police that a hit for DNA collected matched Vega’s DNA, Vyas said.

On April 3, Chicago Police detectives put out an arrest warrant for Vega, who listed his address as 2624 W. Cermark Road, which is a health clinic serving the homeless.

Vega, 45, was arrested by Edwardsville police on Wednesday.

He allegedly admitted to rubbing the boy’s stomach and molesting him, authorities said.

Vega was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail Friday for predatory criminal sexual assault.