WCSO NEWS RELEASE
Detectives in the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations and Criminal Investigations Division have investigated a report of a possible sexual assault and lewdness of a child under the age of 14.
The Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation yesterday at approximately 10:47 p.m., when they were dispatched to an undisclosed residence in the Hidden Valley area. Sheriff’s detectives were also called out to continue the investigation.
The victim advised detectives that she had been inappropriately touched by a relative over the course of five years. The victim identified her relative as Ronald Wenker, a 64-year-old Reno resident.
Today at approximately 8:15 a.m. detectives took Wenker into custody after they were able to corroborate what the victim had told them pertaining to Wenker’s acts committed since approximately 2007.
Wenker was arrested and booked into the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility without incident. Wenker was charged with two felony counts of Sexual Assault with a Child under the age of 14 and two felony counts of Lewdness with a Child under the age of 14. He is currently being held without bail.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office celebrated 150 years of proud service and community partnership in 2011. Sheriff Michael Haley is the 25th person elected to serve as the sheriff of Washoe County. His office continues to be the only full service public safety agency operating within northern Nevada and is responsible for operating the consolidated detention facility, regional crime lab, Northern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, court security, service of civil process, traditional street patrols and Regional Animal Services.
