Illegal immigrants linked to multiple rape cases in Nevada are retracting plea deals, which results in prosecutors reinstating various charges against them.
Carlos Nava, a 49-year-old Mexican national, is facing numerous violent sexual assault accusations in Las Vegas stemming from nearly two decades of alleged offenses.
Despite being deported at least eight times since 2002, he managed to re-enter the United States several times. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed his history of removals and past arrests related to battery and domestic violence, with his most recent deportation occurring in 2020.
On July 30, Nava accepted a plea deal for a felony charge of sexual assault with a deadly weapon. This type of plea allows him to acknowledge that prosecutors likely have enough evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt. In this instance, it meant that eight other charges against him were dropped.
However, after withdrawing from this plea agreement on September 25—just before his sentencing—those charges were reinstated by prosecutors.
According to Clark County Deputy District Attorney Julia Barker, Nava may be linked to as many as 17 separate assaults, with six victims identified and eleven still unknown.
“It’s challenging to maintain innocence when DNA evidence ties him to the crime scene,” Barker pointed out, referencing the findings of sperm. She also noted that police discovered 17 pairs of women’s underwear in his possession.
Documentation reveals that Nava has faced various charges since 2010, and law enforcement in Las Vegas has been actively looking for potential additional victims. Following one incident in 2022, Nava was located in a white Ford truck.
Carlos Nava is currently held at the Clark County Detention Center, and a new trial date is anticipated after his next court appearance on October 9th.
