Las Cruces Man Charged With Raping Teen Girl, Police Say
Las Cruces Police arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of raping and holding his teenage girlfriend against her will, according to police officials.
Joseph Ortega, of 1420 Almendra Street in Las Cruces, was arrested on a warrant Wednesday evening by members of the Las Cruces Police Department’s SWAT team.
Ortega is charged with six counts of criminal sexual penetration, and one count each of kidnapping, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to police, investigators learned that on Feb. 17, the 14-year-old girl went to Ortega’s apartment. The girl identified Ortega as her boyfriend and was under the assumption that he was 27 years old.
The girl told detectives that the two smoked marijuana together and Ortega also used methamphetamine, according to police.. The two partied with friends during the night and into Saturday morning.
Detectives learned that sometime after 4 a.m. the girl received a phone call from a friend, according to police. Police said the early-morning call infuriated Ortega who took the girl’s phone away and refused to allow her to leave. Ortega then allegedly sexually assaulted the girl over the next several hours, according to police.
Las Cruces Police learned of the alleged incident at around noon on Feb. 22. Because Ortega was believed to have several firearms in his apartment, LCPD’s SWAT and Hostage Negotiation teams were mobilized Wednesday evening to arrest him, police said.
After several minutes and numerous attempts at trying to make contact with Ortega at his apartment on Almendra Street , SWAT team members entered the residence and located the suspect hiding in a closet. Ortega was transported to the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond.
