Mexican immigrant is indicted in rape of child relative
By Ashley Meeks
Posted: 10/30/2010 10:21:34 PM MDT

LAS CRUCES - A 56-year-old undocumented immigrant and convicted drug trafficker was indicted on charges he raped and molested a child in his family over a period of eight years.

Federal agents found David Juarez Carbajal in Houston in September. He has been in the Do a Ana County Detention Center since Oct. 10 on a $100,000 cash-only bond, according to the jail.

A Do a Ana County grand jury formally charged him Thursday with 27 counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child younger than 13; 18 counts of incest; and one count each of molestation and attempted molestation.

The molestation began when the victim was 4 or 5 when she was taken to visit Carbajal in Las Cruces, she told detectives in September, according to court records. Because she was scared, she didn't tell anyone as he continued to seek her out and continue the alleged molestation and rape throughout elementary school, she said. Other young relatives tried to keep her away from Carbajal, but they told detectives the man intimidated them, and they stayed silent.

The alleged abuse only stopped when Carbajal was arrested on unrelated charges three years ago, the victim said.

A contract field worker born in San Luis Potos , in central Mexico, Carbajal was arrested in 1990 and charged with fondling a child in El Paso, but that charge was dismissed in 1992, according to court records.

Four years later, Carbajal was convicted in El Paso of trafficking more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana. He was sentenced to 10 years probation and 320 hours of community service, court records state.

As a convicted felon, Carbajal faces mandatory prison time if convicted on the most recent charges. He is also being detained on federal charges of illegal re-entry, according to the jail.

Anyone with information about known or suspected sexual assault is urged to call La Pi on Sexual Assault Recovery Services' 24-hour crisis hot line at (575) 526-3437 or, from outside Las Cruces, (88 595-7273.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_16481180