Former Met
Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra was arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of sexual battery and child annoyance involving a 17-year-old girl.
Dykstra's spokesman, Allan Mayer, said the allegation is untrue.
A spokeswoman at the Ventura County East Valley Sheriff's Station in nearby Thousand Oaks said Dykstra was booked and released on $5,000 bail.
Simi Valley Police Sgt. Bob Gardner said Dykstra, 36, was arrested at the car wash he owns and operates in Simi Valley. The alleged incident occurred at the car wash on Oct. 1, Gardner said.
"The victim is a 17-year-old girl who was employed by Mr. Dykstra at the time of the incident," Gardner said without elaborating from his Los Angeles office.
Dykstra turned himself in after learning a warrant had been issued, Gardner said.
"The allegation is that he touched this young woman outside her clothing," Mayer said. "Though the allegation made against Mr. Dykstra is in fact quite minor and does not warrant criminal charges, the fact remains that it is completely untrue."
Mayer said the teen-ager no longer works at the car wash.
A clerk at the Ventura County district attorney's office who declined to be identified said charges against Dykstra were filed Tuesday.
Known as "Nails" for his hard-nosed style of play, Dykstra was a key component of the Mets' World Series championship team of 1986, and led the Phillies to the World Series in 1993.
He hit .285 in 12-plus seasons and led the National League in at-bats, runs, hits and walks in 1993. He announced his retirement last November after failing to come back from a debilitating back condition.
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