Illegal Immigrant Arrested in Sexual Assault, Forgery

Updated: Monday, 30 Nov 2009, 2:24 PM MST
Published : Monday, 30 Nov 2009, 2:24 PM MST

PRESCOTT VALLEY - A 36-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a 33-year-old female acquaintance after a night of drinking.

Last Friday, Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of a sexual assault in the Castle Canyon neighborhood in Prescott Valley.

The victim told deputies she had been sexually assaulted by a known acquaintance. She told deputies she and another woman had been socializing and drinking with 36-year-old Cresenciano Lopez-Nava the night before. But she woke up to the suspect sexually assaulting her.

She struggled and he fought back, deputies say, and he eventually ran away. Deputies noticed she had defensive wounds on her hands and there were signs of a struggle in her bedroom.

The victim was taken to a hospital. Meanwhile, YCSO detectives served a search warrant at Lopez-Nava's residence, finding two social security cards with different numbers and both with Lopez-Nava's name.

They found other forged documents, indicating Lopez-Nava was an illegal alien. YCSO eventually arrested Lopez-Nava before midnight, and he claimed the victim had consented to sex.

Immigrations officials confirmed that Lopez-Nava had been deported twice on previous occasions. He's been booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center on sexual assault, aggravated assault, and forgery charges, and an outstanding warrant.

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