An illegal immigrant has been accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old relative from her birthday party in Texas and driving her more than 700 miles to rape her at a hotel in Georgia.
Prosecutors say Andres Castaneda-Guzman, 24, arrived at the girl’s home in Terrell, Texas, to celebrate with her and other relatives on September 2.
They say that at 1am as the party was still ongoing, he lured her into his car under the pretense that they would go to collect arriving guests who had gotten lost.
She agreed and got in the vehicle which is when he changed course, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Prosecutors say Guzman took the girl from her birthday party in Terrell, Texas, on September 3 and drove her 770 miles to Stockbridge, Georgia, where he had sex with her against her will in a hotel and then allowed her to be reunited with her family. Neither of the pair has been pictured
He then drove 770 miles to Stockbridge, Georgia, instead, where he took her to a hotel and forced her to have sex with him, prosecutors allege.
He had earlier taken her to a trailer park where her in-laws live where the girl allegedly tried to use a cell phone to contact her family but was stopped.
On September 4, her family – who left Texas in their own cars after realizing she was gone in the early hours of September 3 – soon caught up with them.
They went to the same trailer park where he had taken the girl along with local police officers and told the Guzman’s relatives he had taken the 15-year-old against her will.
Within minutes, the Guzman’s former in-laws called him to tell him and the girl was in a taxi on her own.
‘This kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor is stunning.
U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak
She was then reunited with her relatives at the former in-laws home.
Guzman was indicted on November 14. Details of the case were shared on Tuesday by the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia.
It is not clear how long he has been in the country but authorities said he had lived in Jonesboro then moved to Texas, near to where the girl lived.
She told police once she had been reunited with her family that she had been spurning his advances for weeks.
Prosecutors described his alleged crime as ‘stunning’.
‘This kidnapping and sexual assault of a minor is stunning.
‘Prosecuting violent crime, including child exploitation, is an important priority for the Department of Justice.
‘We are fully engaged in combatting child exploitation and will prosecute anyone who believes they can pursues this vile practice,’ U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said.
He now faces charges of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity.