Man Accused of Kidnapping Teen, Sexually Assaulting her in Two Counties

A 28-year-old San Angelo man has been charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated kidnapping after picking up a teenage girl by the school buses in Mertzon and bringing her to San Angelo, where he forcibly sexually assaulted her.

According to complaints filed with the case, the female victim, who is under the age of 17 but older than 13, called Daniel Joseph Armenta asking for weed and he said he’d bring her $20 worth.

At around 2 a.m. on March 11, Armenta contacted the girl about the marijuana and rolled by her house in Mertzon. She told her mother she couldn’t sleep and wanted to go outside; she then got in the car with Armenta and drove down the road, the complaint states.

Once in the vehicle, Armenta told the girl to get into the back seat where a blunt was rolled and she complied.

He sexually assaulted the girl in the back seat, the complaint states, who told him to stop and had to force him to remove his hand. Armenta then made another advance, but she told him to take her home, the complaint states. He told her he would bring her more weed the next day.

Hours after the first incident, Armenta met the teenage girl by the Irion County school buses in Mertzon, where she was to get more weed. He told her to get in the car and she climbed into the front passenger seat, and Armenta drove off.

“[She] said she thought they were going around the block,” the complaint states. “[She] then said the defendant began to drive towards San Angelo, at which time [she] said, ‘I have to go back to school.’”

According to the complaint, Armenta told the girl, “No. You’re going to stay with me,” multiple times as she asked him to let her out and told him she needed to go back to school. He continued to drive until he reached an apartment at The Grove at 4225 S. Jackson in San Angelo, where he became aggressive and once again forced himself on her.

At some point, the complaint states, Armenta fell asleep and the girl was able to gain control of his phone. She arranged a ride back to Mertzon then snuck out of the apartment and hid from Armenta.

When she returned home, the girl told her mother what had happened and her mom called the Sheriff’s Office. Reports were made in both Irion County for the early-morning sexual assault of a child and the first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping charges.

After a forensic interview at San Angelo’s Hope House, another second-degree sexual assault of a child charge was added in Tom Green County for what had happened at The Grove.

Three warrants were issued for Armenta’s arrest on March 17, and 5:36 p.m., he was taken into custody and transported to the county jail. He is currently being held in lieu of $350,000 in bonds.

Sexual assault of a child is a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10k. Aggravated kidnapping is a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10k.