Two illegal immigrants have been arrested for a late-night attack in Missouri involving a teenage girl who told police she was snatched off the street and raped by two men.
Oscar Antonio Baltodano Lopez, 39, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, kidnapping, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
Benjamin Santez Lopez, 45, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree sodomy.
Baltodano and Lopez were booked into the Washington County Jail without bond.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also lodged immigration detainers against the pair, along with a third person taken into custody at the home. That person was not charged in the crime.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office shared news of their arrests on Facebook, adding that the Potosi Police Department assisted during the investigation and helped “overcome the significant language barrier encountered during the response.”
The alleged assault occurred around midnight Thursday, Oct. 1 in Cadet, Missouri, in a rural area of the state about 63 miles southwest of St. Louis.
The 17-year-old victim told sheriff’s deputies she was walking down the street when a man dragged her into a house.
The girl said she was forced into the home and sexually assaulted by both men, KSDK 5 News reported.
Baltodano Lopez was identified as the man who initially grabbed her. He then covered her mouth and pulled her into the house, where he assaulted and raped her, according to court documents.
The girl told police Santez Lopez also sexually assaulted her.
It’s unclear how or when deputies were called to the home, but they obtained a search warrant and told the men to exit the home in their native language.
Police made a forced entry into the home about 2 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 2 after the two men refused to comply, Blaze Media reported.
Baltodano Lopez locked himself in a bathroom and only came out after police threatened him with a firearm, according to court documents.
Baltodano Lopez’s clothes matched the victim’s description. He refused a DNA swab or to give up his boxers, police said.
Detectives said they later found a blonde hair when processing his boxers.
During an interview with detectives, Santez Lopez denied any involvement and said that he was home alone all night. He told investigators he didn’t have any sexual contact with the girl.
Deputies also found a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine in the home.
In the news release, Washington County Sheriff Dwayne Reed said “federal immigration authorities will determine the next steps regarding deportation proceedings” following state criminal proceedings. The sheriff’s office did not release their nationalities.
