Concord dental assistant accused of molesting dozens of patients arrested

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- An East Bay dental assistant accused of using a cellphone to record himself molesting an 8-year-old girl while she was sedated has been arrested. Alejandro Saro, 24, is now being held in the Martinez jail on $8 million bail.

After the incident, the girl went to the Concord Police Department with a relative to report what happened.

Concord police said the dental assistant worked at dental clinics in Concord and Antioch and may have molested as many as 50 young girls while they were sedated.

"This case was brought to us by the courage of an 8-year-old girl," Concord Police Department Corporal Chris Blakely said.

Concord police said it was a young girl and her family who exposed what investigators believe was a serial molester working as a dental assistant at the La Clinica De La Raza Monument in Concord.

They were crimes police said the suspect recorded with his cellphone. "It showed him at the dental office, it showed the young girls laying down with them being sedated where he would pull their pants down, touch their vaginal area and record this," Blakely said.

Police believe there are many more victims based on evidence seized from Saro's Antioch home. "One of the pieces of evidence that were seized was a cellphone that had several videos of young girls," Blakely said.

Saro began working at the clinic in March of 2015. He previously worked at Patino Orthodontics in Concord and Western Dental in Concord and Antioch. Employees there did not return ABC7 News' calls.

Officials said typically, a dental assistant monitors a child after a procedure where Nitrous oxide was used. The gas does not put the child to sleep, but makes them more comfortable, and less anxious during the procedure.

La Clinica De La Raza Monument released a prepared statement saying: "La Clinica takes the safety of its patients very seriously and is fully cooperating with the officials who are investigating this matter. For the privacy of our patients and all concerned, we cannot comment further," La Clinica De La Raza Monument Chief Dental Officer Ariane Terlet said.

Investigators said based on the evidence there could be as many as 50 victims 12 years old and younger.

Detectives are still investigating if Saro was uploading or sharing the videos.

La Clinica De La Raza Monument is asking patients with questions to contact them directly by calling Zenaida Aguilera at (510)535-3939

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim should call the Concord Police Department Special Victims Unit at (925) 603-5836.