The longtime owner of the award-winning Colorado Springs restaurant Carlos’ Bistro, accused of sexual assault on a waitress trainee, will appear in court next month for his preliminary hearing.

Carlos Echeandia, 62, faces two counts of sexual assault and one misdemeanor count of sexual contact after allegations arose that he made unwanted sexual advances toward the woman inside the restaurant off 21st Street during her training in spring.

He was arrested in early December after a several-month investigation by police, according to past Gazette coverage of the case.

Echeandia appeared out of custody for Tuesday’s short hearing with his counsel, who waived the reading of charges and advisement.

A preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 5 in Echeandia’s case. During a preliminary hearing, the prosecution introduces initial evidence in the case for a judge to “bind over,” or accept the counts for trial.

Echeandia does have the legal right to waive the preliminary hearing and move proceedings along as charged.

An El Paso County judge can rule not to accept the charges for trial, but that is not a common occurrence because the burden of proof for preliminary hearings is lower than it is for trial.

The victim reportedly told police that she knew Echeandia from church and that he had offered to give her a job as a bartender at the bistro after learning she had been unemployed for several months, according to court documents.

After speaking with police about the alleged assault, the woman called Echeandia while a detective listened in. Echeandia allegedly said that “it” was his fault after initially telling the woman, “If I got to do it again, I would do it again”, alongside other statements, according to the court documents.

Echeandia acknowledged that he made the statements during the call after he was asked about it by a detective. However, he said that he was only saying it to make the victim feel better.

Echeandia then told the detective that the victim “jumped” on him, and she was the one to start the sexual advances and had requested to drink the alcohol. He denied ever having sex with her, adding he only reflexively touched her while she was naked when she “jumped” on him to keep himself from falling over, court documents state.

A statement from Echeandia’s lawyer to The Gazette shortly after the news broke stated the owner “steadfastly denies” the charges and that justice must not be “dictated by speculation in the court of public opinion.”

“While the charges are serious, they remain allegations — not proven facts,” the statement read. “As is the right of every citizen, Mr. Echeandia is entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.”

Echeandia opened his bistro in 2004 and has been rated by Zagat Survey America’s Top Restaurants as the best restaurant in Colorado, according to Carlos’ Bistro’s website.

The bistro, best known for its fish and seafood dishes, has earned 51 awards from various national and local organizations and was most recently awarded the Open Table Diners’ Choice in 2024 and 2025.

The arrest of Echeandia will not affect the regular hours of operation for Carlos’ Bistro, an employee told The Gazette at the time.