Lexington County businessman charged with sexual assault of minors after incident Friday night

Lexington, SC 08/16/2021 (Paul Kirby) – A local business owner has been arrested after the father of one of his victim’s says he inappropriately touched several children in a restaurant Friday night. Wilver Antonio Quijada-Quevedo, 41, is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center where he is charged Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor under the age of 16, Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor under the age of 14, Assault and Battery in the 3rd Degree, and Public Disorderly Conduct. His bond has been set at $51,087.50.

According to the father of one of the victims, his wife was dining with her sister and their children at LJ’s Par & Grill, a driving range that also includes a restaurant and bar on Pilgrim Church Road near Lexington Friday night. At some point, the man’s daughter, 3, and his niece, 15, got up to use the restroom. While the children were walking through the dining area, Quijada-Quevedo, who was at the bar, approached the children and grabbed the 3-year-old by the arm. Her cousin forcefully pushed Quijada-Quevedo’s hand away from the younger child and told the suspect not to touch her. At that point, the teen says that Quijada-Quevedo groped her breast.

The two children immediately returned to their table and told their mothers what had happened. One of the ladies dialed 911 and they approached the area of the business where Quijada-Quevedo was still located. They say they did so to get a good look at the suspect so they could identify him once law enforcement officers arrived. At that point, the parents say that several men who appeared to know Quijada-Quevedo, hustled him out of the business and into a pickup truck. They hastily left the business’s parking area.

The father of the youngest child was called and quickly arrived at the business. After hearing what had happened and getting a description of the truck that Quijada-Quevedo fled in from his wife, he began circulating the area looking for the vehicle. With the help of some residents of a nearby neighborhood, he located the suspect and was able to use his vehicle to block the exit of the subdivision preventing Quijada-Quevedo from leaving until deputies got there.

When deputies arrived, they began interviewing witnesses to the incident. Based on those interviews, they arrested Quijada-Quevedo. He was originally charged with Public Disorderly Conduct. After further investigation into the incident, Quijada-Quevedo’s charges were upgraded by investigators.

According to the website of W & R Construction, Inc., Quijada-Quevedo is listed as its owner and chief executive officer. The website says the company provides large, turnkey services for both paint and drywall for the largest, high-volume builders throughout SC, NC, and GA.

As of Monday afternoon, the Lexington County Detention Center’s website showed that Quijada-Quevedo was still in custody.