Police in northern Alabama say a Guatemalan man living in the United States illegally was arrested on child sexual abuse charges and taken into custody Sunday.
The sheriff's office said Tuesday that Luis Lopez Martinez, 38, was arrested after a 911 caller reported he had been “apprehended for abusing a child under the age of 12.” He was arrested by Limestone County Sheriff's Deputies, it was announced.
The victim's family witnessed the incident and detained Lopez-Martinez until law enforcement arrived, according to LCSO. He was then arrested by Limestone County Deputy Bradley Fontenot.
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Luis Lopez Martinez, 38, was arrested Sunday in Limestone County, Alabama, and taken into custody on suspicion of sexually abusing a child under 12, local authorities said. (Limestone County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Lopez-Martinez was initially identified by a different name, but authorities later confirmed his real identity.
The victim, who was determined to be under the age of 12, was immediately transported to an area hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.
According to the sheriff's office, Lopez-Martinez was arrested on suspicion of admitting to child sexual abuse during an interrogation with investigators and stating, “That's true.”
He remains in jail on $250,000 bail.
The Limestone County Sheriff's Office took Luis Lopez Martinez into custody on January 19 after the victim's family allegedly caught him sexually abusing a child and took him into custody. (Limestone County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has assigned an immigration agent to him, and even if he posts bail, he will not be able to return to society.
“When a law enforcement agency detains a detainee, it will notify ICE before releasing a potentially dangerous non-national. ICE's federal law enforcement officers will then detain the non-national in a secure environment within the facility.” ICE described the detainees on its website.
Luis López Martinez, 38, was placed in immigration detention by ICE after he allegedly confessed to sexually abusing children under the age of 12. (Brian Cox/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images)
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The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
“I would like to thank Deputy Fontenot and the investigators.” [Kandace] LCSO Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin said, “Mr. Wilson would like to thank these men for their dedication and tireless efforts to seek justice for this innocent child. Their efforts will continue to serve the most vulnerable members of our community. It strengthens our resolve to protect and ensure justice is served.”
