PALM BEACH, FL - On Sunday, January 12th, an illegal immigrant from Honduras was in court for his connection to a sexual assault of a teenager earlier this month.
According to WPTV, investigators said that a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted near Okeeheelee Park in Palm Beach County on January 2nd. At the time of the incident, the suspect was described as a Hispanic man between 30 and 40 years old who did not speak English. Police said that DNA technology was used to confirm the suspect's identity.
The suspect has been identified as Santo Martinez Varela. He was arrested on January 11th and is now facing charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. He is currently being held without bond. Through their investigation, detectives found that Martinez Varela illegally entered the United States through the southern border on 2023.
On Monday, January 13th, detectives said that they believe there may be additional victims in the case. Martina Varela also faces charges in an attempted purse snatching that took place on December 26, 2024 near Dudley Drive E and Cresthaven Boulevard. The sheriff's office said he was re-arrested for robbery with a firearm and kidnapping during the commission of a felony.
Fox News reported that in a social media post, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department wrote, "To anyone thinking of committing these kind of heinous crimes in Palm Beach County: We will find you. Justice will be served." Anyone who recognizes Martinez Varela or may have had any encounters with his is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
In a separate incident, an illegal immigrant that was deported six times has been charged with kidnapping an Alabama teen girl. According to WLOS, the suspect, 30-year-old Yordy Centeno-Melchor, entered the United States illegally at an unknown place and time, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Federal agents said they most recently encountered Centeno-Melchor on January 3rd after his arrest for attempted kidnapping. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said that the Mexican national attempted to kidnap a teenage girl at a store in Holtville, Alabama on New Year's Eve.
Centeno-Melchor was booked by the Elmore County Sheriff's Office on a second-degree kidnapping charge. His bond has been set at $100,000. Federal officers said they filed an immigration detainer against the suspect. ICE has an extensive history with Centeno-Melchor dating back to 2013. He has been removed from the United States six different times during the last decade and was federally convicted twice for illegal entry.
He was first arrested near Kingsville, Texas, in 2013 and was granted a voluntary return to Mexico. He returned to the U.S. in May 2013 through Brownsville, Texas. An El Paso, Texas, immigration judge issued a final order of removal for Centeno-Melchor in May 2016. He returned to the U.S. again in 2018 near San Diego, California.
He was arrested again by Border Patrol in January 2019 near Jacumba, California. He was convicted of illegal reentry and sentenced to time to be served. by the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. He was arrested again near Hidalgo, Texas, in September 2019. He was again convicted for illegal reentry and sentenced by a court in Texas to 10 days confinement. Border Patrol arrested him again near Eagle Pass, Texas, in October 2020.
According to WPTV, investigators said that a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted near Okeeheelee Park in Palm Beach County on January 2nd. At the time of the incident, the suspect was described as a Hispanic man between 30 and 40 years old who did not speak English. Police said that DNA technology was used to confirm the suspect's identity.
The suspect has been identified as Santo Martinez Varela. He was arrested on January 11th and is now facing charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. He is currently being held without bond. Through their investigation, detectives found that Martinez Varela illegally entered the United States through the southern border on 2023.
On Monday, January 13th, detectives said that they believe there may be additional victims in the case. Martina Varela also faces charges in an attempted purse snatching that took place on December 26, 2024 near Dudley Drive E and Cresthaven Boulevard. The sheriff's office said he was re-arrested for robbery with a firearm and kidnapping during the commission of a felony.
Fox News reported that in a social media post, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department wrote, "To anyone thinking of committing these kind of heinous crimes in Palm Beach County: We will find you. Justice will be served." Anyone who recognizes Martinez Varela or may have had any encounters with his is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
In a separate incident, an illegal immigrant that was deported six times has been charged with kidnapping an Alabama teen girl. According to WLOS, the suspect, 30-year-old Yordy Centeno-Melchor, entered the United States illegally at an unknown place and time, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Federal agents said they most recently encountered Centeno-Melchor on January 3rd after his arrest for attempted kidnapping. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said that the Mexican national attempted to kidnap a teenage girl at a store in Holtville, Alabama on New Year's Eve.
Centeno-Melchor was booked by the Elmore County Sheriff's Office on a second-degree kidnapping charge. His bond has been set at $100,000. Federal officers said they filed an immigration detainer against the suspect. ICE has an extensive history with Centeno-Melchor dating back to 2013. He has been removed from the United States six different times during the last decade and was federally convicted twice for illegal entry.
He was first arrested near Kingsville, Texas, in 2013 and was granted a voluntary return to Mexico. He returned to the U.S. in May 2013 through Brownsville, Texas. An El Paso, Texas, immigration judge issued a final order of removal for Centeno-Melchor in May 2016. He returned to the U.S. again in 2018 near San Diego, California.
He was arrested again by Border Patrol in January 2019 near Jacumba, California. He was convicted of illegal reentry and sentenced to time to be served. by the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. He was arrested again near Hidalgo, Texas, in September 2019. He was again convicted for illegal reentry and sentenced by a court in Texas to 10 days confinement. Border Patrol arrested him again near Eagle Pass, Texas, in October 2020.
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