A 20-year-old Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally was arrested in Colorado on Tuesday over allegations that he raped his boss' 14-year-old daughter while living in the basement of the family's home.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Golden, Colorado, said Wednesday in a news release that it arrested Jesus Alberto Pereira Castillo regarding the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.
The sheriff's office said police were originally called to the home where the assault allegedly occurred at 11 p.m. on Aug. 29. They said police were told that about a half-hour earlier, Castillo had forced himself on the homeowner's daughter, sexually assaulting her. But Castillo left the residence before deputies arrived. Details were not released as to what job the homeowner employed Castillo to do.
Following the assault, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for Castillo's arrest, the New York Post reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The sheriff's office said investigators tracked Castillo down to Aurora, Colorado, and placed him in custody Tuesday without incident.
Castillo was charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault on a child and did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance Wednesday, Brionna Boatright, director of public affairs for the Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office, wrote in an email to Newsmax. The judge set a $5,000 cash bond and Castillo is in custody at the Jefferson County Detention Facility. Boatright said Castillo's attorney is seeking to have the bond reduced.
Aurora has been in the headlines after being overrun by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but Castillo is not believed to have any ties to the gang, the Post reported.
Castillo crossed the border illegally into El Paso, Texas, in September 2023 and was released by Customs and Border Patrol agents because there was no room to detain him any longer, the Post reported, citing Department of Homeland Security sources.
Castillo was said to be headed to Orlando, Florida, but ended up in Colorado, where he was arrested in May for allegedly possessing tools for forgery/counterfeiting and larceny, the Post reported.
Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said he will not cooperate with the incoming Trump administration's plans for mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Johnston has overseen a huge influx of migrants to his city, reportedly causing it to cut at least $45.9 million worth of expenses from several agencies.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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