New Mexico State Police have arrested a 34-year-old man on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault following an investigation involving a 13-year-old girl from Rio Rancho, authorities announced.
The suspect was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center following his arrest Feb. 15. He faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration of a child between 13 and 18 years old, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
According to investigators, the girl was reported missing by her family in Rio Rancho on the evening of Feb. 14. In the early morning hours of Feb. 15, Albuquerque police responded to a call from a gas station where the juvenile reported she had been kidnapped. Investigators said she was able to escape after convincing her captor to allow her to use a restroom at the station.
When officers arrived, the girl identified the suspect’s vehicle, prompting a pursuit that ended in his apprehension.
State police said the girl had been longboarding near her home in Rio Rancho when the suspect approached her, claiming to be an Uber driver sent by her father and threatening to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle.
Investigators said the suspect drove the girl to multiple locations, ultimately taking her to a secluded area where she was sexually assaulted. She was assaulted a second time at a different location, according to authorities.
The suspect told investigators he works as a DoorDash driver and claimed he encountered the girl while on a delivery route and offered her a ride. He alleged the encounter was consensual and said he believed the girl was 21 years old.