Denver Fugitive Accused of Raping Local Teen at Knifepoint

A 21-year-old fugitive wanted in Denver was arrested by San Angelo police on Wednesday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl at knifepoint. 

Yonatan Gerardo Valdespino has been charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child after being accused of assaulting the teenage girl in a field just north of the River Pointe Apartments in east San Angelo Wednesday. 

According to a complaint written by Detective Jason Chegwidden, the victim, Valdespino and three other juveniles were at Brown’s Pool on Aug. 5, when the group decided to walk back to Valdespino’s residence in the 1100 block of Koberlin St.

Once at the residence, the complaint states, all five began consuming alcohol, but were eventually kicked out by Valdespino’s mother. Two of the teens in the party departed the group and began throwing rocks at car windows, while a third unexpectedly ran off in an unknown direction, Chegwidden wrote. Valdespino and the teenage girl, now alone, began walking toward River Pointe apartments in search of the friend who had run away.

According to the complaint, when Valdespino and the girl reached a field roughly a block north of River Pointe Apartments, Valdespino began physically assaulting her, struck her in the face and forced himself upon her sexually, the complaint states. During the assault Valdespino displayed a knife and held it to her neck, which slipped and punctured the victim's shoulder.

The victim showed obvious signs of a physical assault when interviewed by detective Chegwidden, the complaint states.

Valdespino was interviewed on Wednesday afternoon and corroborated the story up until the drinking at his house, then accused the victim of having consensual sex with another member of their party and himself before they all left the residence. He denied assaulting her in the field.

The other members of the party were also interviewed, one of which claimed to not be able to remember anything after consuming the alcohol. The remaining two claimed they couldn’t remember anything that happened after arriving at Valdespino’s house.

Valdespino was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on Wednesday on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony, and on an unknown warrant out of Denver, Colorado.

Denver police confirmed that Valdespino does have a record there, but could not yet disclose information pertaining to the warrant. He turned 21 on Aug. 4.

Valdespino is currently being held in lieu of a $250,000 bond for the aggravated sexual assault. 

In total, 21 inmates were booked into the county jail on Wednesday; 34 were released.