A Willacy County native accused of raping and impregnating a 12 year old girl who's "mentally challenged," will be extradited back to the Valley to face charges.
A Grand Jury handed up an indictment against Jose Gonzales, Thursday afternoon, on charges of continuous sexual assault of a child and prohibited sexual conduct.
The Lasara man was arrested in Williams County, North Dakota on an arrest warrant from the Harlingen Police Department.
It’s believed Gonzales recently moved up north to find work, according to authorities working the case.
Investigators in Harlingen recently turned over the case to the Willacy County Sheriff's Department after details made by the alleged victim during an outcry revealed the rape happened in Lasara, according to Willacy County Investigator Guillermo Salinas.
A DNA tissue test linked Gonzales to the pregnancy by 99.999 percent, according to documents.
Investigator Salinas said Gonzales willfully submitted a DNA sample.
The case against him first unraveled back in February.
"The mom noticed that the little girl... Her stomach was kind of large... She noticed the skin rashes on the upper arms... Took her into the pediatrics to have her checked for the rash... In turn asked if she could do a pregnancy test on the little girl and it came back positive," he said.
The young girl lives with her mother in Harlingen.
Investigator Salinas said the suspect knew the victim well and had access to her.
Because Action 4 News does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault, the exact relationship between the two will not be revealed by the station.
Authorities believe Gonzales continuously raped her over a 4 year period.
Investigator Salinas described the girl’s mental state.
"The mom says she has the mental capacity of 4 to 5 years old," Investigator Salinas said.
Gonzales is expected to extradited to the Valley to face charges sometime in the next 30 days
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