An Illegal Immigrant from Honduras Faces Charges After Allegedly Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl in Florida Park
An illegal immigrant from Honduras, Santo Martinez Varela, is facing criminal charges after allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old girl in a Florida park earlier this month. The incident occurred on January 2 at Okeeheelee Park in an unincorporated area of Palm Beach County.
According to authorities, Varela, a 30- to 40-year-old man who does not speak English, is being held without bail at Palm Beach County Jail on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. He is accused of assaulting the 13-year-old girl, who was attacked while in the park.
Varela, who illegally crossed the Mexican border from Honduras in 2023, is believed to have committed the crime without any prior contact with law enforcement, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s department tracked down Varela on January 11 and confirmed his identity using a DNA search warrant. He faced a judge on Sunday and is currently being held at the Palm Beach County Jail.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying, “To anyone thinking of committing these kind of heinous crimes in Palm Beach County: We will find you. Justice will be served.”