MOSES LAKE — A Quincy man is accused of inappropriately touching a teenage girl as she was sleeping.

Grant County prosecutors charged Joel Villela, 25, of Quincy, in Grant County Superior Court with indecent liberties.

In a written statement the victim in the incident gave police she claimed she was at a family member’s home and about 5 a.m. she woke up after she felt someone “uncovering” her, according to court documents. The victim said she thought it was “nothing” so she tried to go back to sleep, but she then felt someone touching her. The girl flinched and didn’t feel anything after that, but a couple of minutes later she said she felt someone touching her again with “more force.”

The victim says she turned around to see who was touching her and she saw Villela, “standing their on his phone suspiciously.” The girl turned away again, hoping Villela would go away, but he allegedly continued inappropriately touching and rubbing her.

Villela allegedly attempted to take off the girl’s pants, but thinking he was going to rape her, the victim says she started acting like she was fully awake. As the victim was about to turn around, Villela rushed out of the room. The victim encountered Villela in the kitchen and she fled the house. The victim told police Villela had never touched her inappropriately before.

Although several people interviewed by police were not present during the alleged incident, some of the witnesses claimed in the hours after the incident the victim immediately contacted them and confided to them that Villela had touched her.

Villela was later interviewed by police at his residence and when asked if he wanted to explain his side of the story at the Quincy Police Department, he reportedly stated “I’m not going to the police station by myself, nothing ever good happens for me there.”

“It should be noted that the demeanor of Villela did not change from the time he came to the door, to the time I left. Even when I advised him of the seriousness of the allegations,” wrote a Quincy police officer.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.