Norwalk man mistakenly jailed for 5 days on child molestation charge, suit alleges

A case of mistaken identity landed a man in Los Angeles County jail for five days after Whittier police wrongfully arrested him on an active child molestation warrant, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week.

The lawsuit alleges Victor Manuel Martinez Wario of Norwalk was falsely incarcerated in 2023 at Men’s Central Jail, where he was put at risk for attack by fellow inmates because he was forced to wear a specially colored jumpsuit indicating his status as a sex offender and a wristband worn by suspected child molesters.