Odessa Man Charged With Sexual Assault, Holding Teen Captive

ODESSA, TX — An Odessa man was arrested last week after police said he allegedly held a teen relative captive and sexually assaulted her for nearly a year.

Thomas Benjamin Lozano, 42, has been charged with six counts of aggravated assault, one count of unlawful restraint of a minor less than 17 years old, and aggravated kidnapping.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call April 9 from a teenager who said she was being held against her will by a relative, according to an Ector County Sheriff’s Office report. 

Deputies said they found the girl locked inside the home, and they had to break open a window to pull her out.

She said she had been locked inside the house since last June.

The teen appeared as if she had been deprived of food, water and hygiene supplies, according to the report.

The condition of the home was described as a “landfill” by investigators.

The girl said the man had forced her to use methamphetamine, and that he beat and sexually assaulted her numerous times.

Lozano was located and arrested later that day. He remains in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center on a $1.525 million bond.