By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A 57-year-old Alabaster man is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $400,000 after police said he molested two young girls at a daycare at his home.

Alabaster police arrested Elijio Rios-Martinez on June 29 and charged him with two felony counts of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12.

According to Alabaster police, Rios-Martinez’s wife operated a daycare in their home in the 1600 block of Kent Dairy Road, and two girls reported being molested by Rios-Martinez while at his house.

“Two of the children who attend the daycare told their mother that Rios-Martinez had molested them and she reported it to us,” said Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney. “We are working closely with the Alabama Department of Human Resources to make sure there are no other victims. If there is anyone who believes their child may have had contact with Rios-Martinez please call us at 663-7401.”

Sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 is a Class B felony. If convicted of the crimes, Rios-Martinez faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count.