Bond set for Cruz Gonzales
Kimberly Duso, Editor

Bond was set at $700,000 for a 29-year-old Hispanic male charged with seven counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault with a 12-year-old female.

Martin Gilbert Cruz Gonzales appeared before 84th District Judge Bill Smith Wednesday afternoon. During the proceeding, Smith read Cruz Gonzales his rights and stated the charges before him. Smith then asked Hutchinson County District Attorney Clay Ballman if he had a recommendation for bond amount.

Ballman stated that because Cruz Gonzales was an illegal immigrant in our country from Mexico, and because the victim in the case was only 12-years-old, he asked the court to set a high bond of $100,000 per count.

Smith agreed with Ballman and officially set bond at the above-mentioned amount.

Smith also appointed Attorney David Holmes to represent Cruz Gonzales.
"With an abundance of caution due to the seriousness of this offense, I am appointing Mr. Holmes to represent you," Smith said.

When asked if he had any questions, Cruz Gonzales asked how much money he would need to come up with to get our of jail. Smith simply stated he would have to talk to a bondsman and his attorney to work out the details of the bail.

Ballman said the bond was set high because past experience has proven that illegal immigrants will usually disappear once they are released from jail.

After the hearing, Cruz Gonzales, escorted by Borger Police Department Detective Andrea Aguirre, was returned to the Hutchinson County Jail.

Borger Middle School officials called the Borger Police Department on Tuesday afternoon, March 20. Apparently, the 12-year-old victim was re-enrolling into BMS, when her previous school notified officials there that she was possibly pregnant by an older man, according to Aguirre.

"She [the victim] just shut down completely and wouldn't talk to school officials or myself, so she was taken to The Bridge in Amarillo. There they did an interview and the victim told them that she had been sexually assaulted by Cruz Gonzales," she said.

Aguirre said Cruz Gonzales came into the Borger Police Department Wednesday morning to give a statement and ended up giving a confession.

Allegedly, Cruz Gonzales had sexual intercourse with the victim on at least seven occasions from November 2006 to January 2007.

"Because he is a serious flight risk, we immediately booked and processed him into the city jail," Aguirre said.

Cruz Gonzales, who is employed with One Stop Flooring in Pampa, is married and has two children ages eight and three.

Aguirre said Child Protective Services were called. CPS officials implemented an order stating the Cruz Gonzales can have no contact with is children.

Allegedly this is Cruz Gonzales' first offense of this nature, but does have a previous conviction from 2001 for Domestic Violence.

Ballman said he would present the case to the Grand Jury on April 25.

"I am sure he will be indicted at that time," he said.

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