The mother of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and impregnated by an illegal immigrant has denied the charges, despite the suspect admitting to the crime.
The woman, who refused to identify herself, claims her daughter is “all right” after being forced to travel to Indiana for an abortion.
The procedure was blocked in their home state because of the so-called heartbeat law, which prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Gerson Fuentes, 27, from Guatemala, confessed to raping the young girl, but her mother claims that “everything they say to him is a lie.”
Fuentes was arraigned Wednesday in Columbus, where he is charged with first-degree rape of a child under 13. His bail was set at $2 million.
The mother (pictured hiding behind her front door) of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was raped and impregnated by an illegal immigrant has denied charges against Gerson Fuentes (not pictured). She claims her daughter is ‘fine’ and that Fuentes is the subject of ‘lies’
Telemundo reporter María Vargas-Pion visited the Columbus residence on Wednesday where the 10-year-old rape victim and her mother are said to live.
A woman who claimed to be the girl’s mother hid behind her front door while defending Fuentes.
“Did the girl live here too?” asked Vargas-Pion.
The woman, speaking in Spanish, replied, “Yes, but she’s fine. Everything they say to him is a lie.’
“And the child—are you related to her or her mother?” the reporter polled.
“She’s my daughter,” the mother replied.
The woman reportedly said she has not brought charges against Fuentes – although he was charged with rape after admitting he had “vaginal contact” with the girl on at least two occasions.
The girl recently celebrated her tenth birthday, leading investigators to suspect she was only nine years old when she was raped and later became pregnant.
Rape suspect Gerson Fuentes, 27, is seen during Wednesday’s arraignment via a video link. He is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl who had to cross state lines for an abortion
Police were notified of the girl’s pregnancy through a Franklin County Children Services referral made by her mother on June 22.
She had a medical abortion in Indianapolis on June 30.
Columbus Police Department detective Jeffrey Huhn, who testified during Fuentes’ arraignment on Wednesday, claims the girl named the Guatemalan resident as her attacker and the father of her child.
He also testified that DNA evidence collected at the Indianapolis clinic will be tested against samples taken from Fuentes, The Columbus Shipment reported.
Officials are also testing DNA collected from the child’s siblings in an effort to confirm who fathered the fetus.
The case has been investigated by Ohio officials, most notably Attorney General Dave Yost, since it first made national headlines earlier this month.
The Indianapolis Star, an Indiana publication, reported on July 1 that a little girl had to cross state lines to undergo an abortion because she was refused the one in Ohio.
Yost, during a Fox news interview Monday, claimed that there is no “biological evidence” for the story, and that he has not heard any “whispers” about the little girl anywhere.
In addition, an Indiana Department of Health filing obtained by Fox on Thursday revealed that Indianapolis physician Dr. Caitlin Bernard, reported that the alleged rapist of the girl was about 17 years old.
In court, a detective (not pictured) testified that the victim in the case was forced to travel to Indiana to have an abortion after the Dobbs ruling
Ohio AG Dave Yost Yost had claimed in an interview Monday that there is no ‘biological evidence’ for the story and that he has not heard ‘whispers’ about the little girl anywhere.
In a statement on Wednesday, Yost quickly took a different tack
The child was six weeks and three days pregnant when she wanted an abortion in Indiana, Bernard had told The Indianapolis Star.
She claimed the girl was ineligible for an abortion in her home state within three days due to a newly imposed state ban on abortion at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat.”
The ban was issued shortly after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which guaranteed abortion rights in America. The Ohio Heartbeat Bill has no exceptions for rape or incest.
According to court records, a report was made on June 22 with the Columbus Division of Police for the rape of the girl. Roe was destroyed two days later, on June 24.
On July 6, the victim identified Fuentes with authorities as the person who raped her.
A week later, Fuentes was given a search warrant for a saliva sample and taken into custody where he confessed to raping the victim multiple times.
Gerson Fuentes, 27, (pictured) was arrested on July 12 and has been charged with one rape after police confessed to raping the child on two separate occasions.
Fuentes appeared in court on Wednesday and was given a $2 million bail. He is currently in the Franklin County Jail.
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner said the case did not justify holding Fuentes — who is believed to be undocumented — being held without bail, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
But Ebner said a higher tire was needed because Fuentes is a potential flight risk and for the safety of the children involved.
Yost, skeptical of the matter, told Fox Monday, “My office runs the state crime lab. Anyway, like this, you get a rape kit, you have biological evidence, and you look for DNA analysis.
“There is no request for analysis that looks like this,” he added.
The AG also noted that “Ohio’s heartbeat law has a medical exception, which is broader than just the mother’s life.”
“This young girl, if she exists and if this terrible thing happened to her — it breaks my heart to think about it — she didn’t have to leave Ohio to find treatment,” he explained.
Following the news of Fuentes’ arrest, the AG’s office released a statement, which read in part: “My heart aches because of the pain this young child has suffered.
“I am grateful for the diligent work of the Columbus Police Department in extracting a confession and getting a rapist off the street.
“Justice must be served and BCI stands ready to support law enforcement across Ohio by putting these criminals behind bars.”
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita (left) says an investigation has been launched into Dr. Caitlin Bernard (right). She performed an abortion on the unidentified 10-year-old rape victim whose story made headlines when she was forced to travel from her home state to Indiana.
Ohio is one of several states enacting laws that would limit abortions to six weeks. Ohio State also requires doctors to report abuse of minors
Meanwhile, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has sworn Dr. Bernard to investigate about the abortion.
Rokita, who appeared on Fox News Wednesday, called obstetrician-gynecologist Bernard an “abortion activist acting like a doctor” who he says has a history of failing to report abortions.
“We are currently gathering evidence and will fight this to the end, including her licensure if she hasn’t come forward. And in Indiana, it’s a crime… to intentionally fail to report,” AG Rokita told Fox News on Wednesday.
“This is a child, and there’s a lot of public interest in understanding whether someone under 16 or under 18 or really a woman is having an abortion in our state. And of course, if a child is being abused, parents need to know. Authorities need to know. Government policy experts need to know.’
dr. Bernard has not yet responded to the AG’s comments, but tweeted earlier Wednesday:
My heart breaks for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse. I am so sad that our country is failing them when they need us the most. Doctors should be able to give people the medical care they need, where and when they need it.’