Owner of Carlos Bistro found guilty of three counts related to sexual assault of waitress trainee

Editor's note: This story contains details of a sexual assault allegation and may be upsetting for some readers.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A Colorado Springs restaurateur has been found guilty of three charges related to the sexual assault of a woman training to work at his restaurant.

Carlos Echeandia, the owner of Carlos Bistro, was found guilty of three charges on Wednesday, according to court records. Those charges were:

• Sexual assault: Victim helpless
• Sexual assault: No consent
• Sexual contact: No consent

When KRDO13 first reported on the case, the reported victim had told a Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) detective that she met Echeandia at church, where she was unemployed and "fairly desperate for this job to work out," according to court records.

She had approached Echendia about a job, and later came by his restaurant to be trained in how to mix drinks, as it's part of why the staff make so much in tips, according to the victim's recounting to the detective.

The woman said Echeandia had her make drinks and began giving her a tour of the bistro, "encouraging her to sample the drinks so she could describe them better to customers," according to arrest records. The reported victim said she had not had any food and was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol.

From there, she reported to police that his tone changed and said he began making inappropriate comments.

"She felt so out of it, she wondered if she had been drugged," the arrest affidavit further read. Police say she recalled her legs began to feel heavy, like she was walking through cement. She told police that she later saved her urine from that day, keeping it in her fridge in hopes that it could be tested for drugs, but she was never able to in time and threw it away.

She said Echeandia reportedly told her at the restaurant, "If you'll just let me see your breasts, I promise I won't touch you," the arrest affidavit says. The trainee said she agreed to take off her shirt, hoping she would be able to "leave and never come back," but told police that Echeandia began grabbing her, and said the alleged sexual assault then occurred.

The woman also reported to police that Echeandia told her something similar to "don't tell anyone this happened," arrest records say.

Arrest records show police had the reported victim call Echeandia while they were there to see what he would say. On the call, the woman pressed him, saying she felt gross about what happened, and he said, "I crossed the line."

He told the victim he had never done anything like that with the other waitresses, according to the arrest affidavit.

Based on his arrest affidavit, Echeandia told the police a very different story from what the trainee recalled. He reportedly told the police the trainee began drinking all the training beverages and later asked for wine, but he cut her off. Echeandia told police the trainee began flirting with him, went to the bathroom and came back naked.

Arrest records show that when police brought up the phone call they had overheard, Echeandia told the police he lied to the trainee to make her feel better.

According to the arrest affidavit, a detective with CSPD began calling what are called "outcry witnesses." They are people who first hear about an abuse allegation from a victim. CSPD said at the time all the outcry witness statements with loved ones of the woman affirmed the details she had told police.

According to court records, Echeandia will be sentenced on December 10 at 1:30 p.m.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.