Thread: MO Stone: Accused rapist is illegal alien

WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2009
Stone: Accused rapist is illegal alien

The Gilmer, Texas man accused of raping a woman twice in four days at a Monroe City motel remains in jail on $100,000 bond.

But there are several new kinks in the story that leave the police scratching their heads. Police were informed by a Texas law enforcement agency over the weekend that Florencio Sarmiento is an illegal alien.

They said he had no driver’s license when he was picked up, but did have a secondary identification. Sarmiento was employed by a tree trimming group that had been working in the area and spoke only Spanish.

Additionally, police discovered through the course of their investigation that the 22-year-old white female victim was not who she had originally said she was. Police said that she did not have any identification when she reported the second rape, and gave them one name. Later another law enforcement officer saw the woman during the course of the investigation and identified her as someone who is on probation and parole records.

Police are unsure why the young woman from Hannibal was staying at the Monroe City motel. She was registered under her sister’s name, who paid in advance for the room, but was asked to leave when she did not have further payment, police said. As of Thursday, she was sitting in St. Jude’s Park, became dehydrated and had to be taken by ambulance to Hannibal Regional Hospital where she was treated and released. Police Chief Stone said police have been unable to locate her since she left the hospital.

Thirty-four-year-old Sarmiento of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with two counts of felony second-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action.

Sarmiento is accused of attacking the woman with a knife and forcing her to have sex at the Rainbow Motel.

The woman told authorities the attacks happened on June 18 and on June 22 in her room at the motel on Business Highway 24/36.

She called authorities after the second assault and identified the suspect but refused medical treatment.

Police Chief Rick Stone said he did not know why she waited so long to report the rape or why she refused medical treatment.

He said the two did not know each other. Each was staying alone in adjoining rooms of the motel.

The woman told authorities that the suspect knocked on her door and attacked when she opened it.

Stone reported the victim said the suspect did not speak during the assaults.

The woman, an Illinois native who had booked her room for a week, declined medical treatment.

Investigators say Sarmiento checked into the motel June 17 and was working for a mobile tree removal service that was operating in the area.
The case was complicated by the fact that Sarmiento said he does not speak English.

Investigating officer Shawn Shadwell understands some Spanish and used an Internet site to translate the Miranda Rights and read them to Sarmiento.

Stone said police are checking Sarmiento’s residency status with federal authorities.

A preliminary hearing has been set for 1:30 p.m. July 28 at the Marion County Courthouse in Palmyra.

http://www.monroecity.net/full_article.asp?control=3062

Judge reschedules hearing in rape case

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Thursday, July 30, 2009


A Missouri judge postponed a hearing in a rape case against a Gilmer man Tuesday when his female accuser did not appear in court.

The preliminary hearing for Florencio Sarmiento, 34, was rescheduled to Aug. 11 in Palmyra, Mo., the Hannibal, Mo., Courier-Post reported.

Sarmiento, 34, is being held on $100,000 bond, charged with two counts of felony assault and one count of felony armed criminal action, after authorities said he attacked a woman at knifepoint on June 18 and 22,

The woman, who reported the attacks about one week later, did not seek medical treatment, the newspaper reported.

He was employed by a Texas tree removal service that was working in the area in mid-June. Federal agents have confirmed that Sarmiento is an illegal immigrant, the newspaper reported.

www.news-journail.com