A Mexican immigrant who had been residing in Española is in jail on 312 counts of rape and 312 counts of criminal sexual contact for allegedly molesting his 10-year-old stepdaughter, according to State Police.
State Children, Youth and Families Department was contacted by a Sombrillo Elementary counselor March 20 after the child disclosed that her mother’s husband, Tomas Rodriguez-Garcia, 27, was sexually abusing her, according to court documents. The victim told investigators that Rodriguez-Garcia had been touching her sexually for two years, but the abuse had been getting worse in the previous few weeks.
The victim and her 6-year-old brother slept on a bed in the same room with their mother and Rodriguez-Garcia, documents state. State Police Sgt. Chris Valdez said the victim said she and her brother slept in the same room with her mother and stepfather because they were afraid of Rodriguez-Garcia’s 29-year-old brother, who also lived at the residence.
Rodriguez-Garcia allegedly touched and raped the victim at night when she was sleeping or early in the morning, when the victim’s mother wasn’t in the room.
Rodriguez-Garcia admitted to police that he touched the victim sexually and ejaculated on her, documents state.
Rodriguez-Garcia had admitted to the victim’s mother that he sexually abused the victim two years ago, and the mother told him not to touch the victim again, Valdez said. The victim’s mother cooperated with the police investigation, advising police where Rodriguez-Garcia could be found the evening of March 20.
Rodriguez-Garcia was arrested without incident and is being held at Rio Arriba County Jail on $500,000 cash-only, documents state.