An undocumented immigrant who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the United States was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
Marvin Perez Lopez, 20, was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday after allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old minor.
López, who confessed to the crimes, arrived in the United States from his native Guatemala in January.
After being detained by Border Patrol, he was released pending an immigration court date three years from now, in 2027.
Marvin Pérez López, 20, was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for an incident related to the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a 13-year-old minor.
Lopez arrived in Florida in January of this year, where he is alleged to have carried out his heinous crimes against a pre-teen girl who was in sixth grade.
The kidnapping occurred in a residential area of Lake Worth Beach, south of West Palm Beach.
Lopez allegedly raped the girl in a van that was parked outside his family’s home.
Incredibly, the girl’s mother hit the side of the truck where her daughter was and she managed to escape.
Lopez then ran out of the truck, said he was sorry and asked for forgiveness.
The affidavit says the boy and Lopez live in the same apartment building.
At first, the mother did not call the police because she feared that her own immigration status would be called into question. She had also had a previous incident when authorities took her daughter away from her.
The 11-year-old girl told investigators how Lopez grabbed her hand and told her to “get in the truck.”
She explained how he began touching her and that she pushed Lopez and was able to get out of the truck, only for him to push her into the vehicle.
The girl then told investigators how Lopez sexually assaulted her.
Police then went to Lopez’s apartment to question him, but while they did so, he escaped through a window at the back of the house.
Lopez’s sister-in-law now seemed to know what she had done.
‘It was 9 at night and the mother came into my house saying that something happened with her daughter and Marvin,’ Hermencie Vásquez told WPTV. “I asked Marvin what he would do if she got pregnant and if he would be responsible, and he said yes, he would be responsible for the child.”
Lopez is currently being held in the Palm Beach Country Jail without bond. Police say he admitted to the charges against him.
It was workers from the Mayan Center in Guatemala who alerted the police about the sexual assault.
“Our work in the community was worth it because we have a good relationship with that facility,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
‘We have a lot of people here in Palm Beach County who may or may not be illegal, and they become victims. They shouldn’t be afraid to call us. We are not going to call the Border Patrol if you are a victim and have not committed a crime. Let’s help them.
‘Before him [Lopez] Even if he even remotely thinks he’s going to be deported, he’s going to serve his sentence here first,” Bradshaw explained.
Lopez had arrived in Florida from Guatemala, where he is alleged to have carried out his heinous crimes against a preteen.
When migrants cross the U.S. border, they are given a hearing date to explain to an immigration judge why they should not be deported.
The hearing is usually set years in advance.
Immigrants receive a Notice to Appear when they enter, but the Department of Homeland Security must also file the document with the court.
“They know they will have a hearing date many years from now and during that time, just with that hearing notice, for example, they can get a driver’s license,” immigration attorney Richard Hujber told WPTV.
“If they seek asylum, they can also get a work permit, and no one looks at whether they have a legitimate and valid asylum claim.”
When migrants cross the U.S. border, they are given a hearing date to explain to an immigration judge why they should not be deported (file photo from April 2023)
If you do not do so, the hearing cannot continue and a decision cannot be made.
This incident comes just a few months after three undocumented immigrants from Guatemala were accused of forcing a woman into a car and sexually beating her at two locations in Palm Beach County.
The three suspects, Andrés Felipe Morales, 29, Darinel Ordóñez Jjiménez, 30, and Marcos Felipe Ramírez, 31, were arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail.
Morales faces charges of sexual assault and false imprisonment, while the other two are being held on two counts of felony criminal conspiracy.
