Chandler dentist indicted after girl accused assistant of abuse

Jose R. Gonzalez, Arizona Republic Fri, May 8, 2026 at 1:36 AM UTC

0

Chandler dentist indicted after girl accused assistant of abuse

A dentist has been indicted in a case where he stands accused of not reporting the abuse of a child patient by a dental assistant at the Chandler dentistry where both men worked.

Walter Villanueva, 46, of Chandler, was indicted on one count of failure to report nonaccidental injuries and physical neglect of minors, a Class 6 felony, according to a May 7 news release from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

The dental assistant in the case, Deion Alexander Garcia, 29, of Mesa, pleaded guilty on April 20 to sexual conduct with a minor, according to court records. Garcia's sentencing is tentatively scheduled for June 10, according to the county attorney's office. Court records indicate Villanueva was indicted in April.

The victim's mother told Villanueva in September 2022 that her 6-year-old daughter said Garcia abused her during a dental exam at Kidiatric Dental, but Villanueva did not make a police report, according to the county attorney's office.

A complaint to the Arizona Board of Dental Examiners alleged Villanueva talked with the parents of a girl who said she was abused by Garcia, along with the child herself and the dental assistant. Villanueva determined nothing happened, according to the complaint.

Advertisement

As a medical professional, Villanueva was obligated by state law to immediately report suspected abuse to law enforcement or to the Arizona Department of Child Safety, the county attorney's office said.

Both men and Kidiatric are facing two ongoing lawsuits, according to court records.

The first lawsuit appears to be related to the case Villanueva was indicted on. A girl accused Garcia of touching her genitalia but a case was dropped by Chandler police for lack of evidence, according to court documents. The second lawsuit appears to stem from the May 2024 incident that led to Garcia's arrest.

Villanueva was listed on the dentistry's website as of May 7.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Girl's abuse allegations lead to Chandler dentist indictment

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Breaking”