Freshman says fellow student sexually abused her in school gym

ALAMO — Police arrested a high school senior after an alleged sexual assault behind the bleachers in a high school gymnasium.

A 14-year-old freshman girl told a school counselor about 1 p.m. Monday that Moises Martinez, 17, had sexually assaulted her there, said Alamo Police Chief Arturo Espinoza.

The alleged incident reportedly occurred Monday morning during school hours. No one else was in the gym at the time.

Investigators are “going under the assumption” that the girl and Martinez did not know each other before the suspected sexual assault, Espinoza said. He added that the girl was “doing OK” and underwent an exam that supported her sexual abuse claim.

It is The Monitor’s policy not to identify those who may be victims of sex crimes.

Because Martinez is 17 years old, authorities charged him as an adult. He was arraigned Tuesday in Alamo Municipal Court on one count of sexual assault, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 upon conviction. He remained at the Hidalgo County Jail late Wednesday afternoon in lieu of an $80,000 bond.

Alamo police plan to turn the case over to the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office, which will present it before a grand jury, Espinoza said.

“It’s probably something where they met and it happened and now they have to deal with that,” he said of the alleged incident.

In a prepared statement, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district officials confirmed the sexual assault investigation and said they were cooperating with Alamo police.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.