(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A 25-year-old man in Houston who was accused of raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl was issued a $1 bond by a Harris County judge on Wednesday.
The teenage girl and her siblings went over to Luis Sanchez’s north Houston home to play games in April 2022, the court documents stated, as Fox 26 Houston reported. Sanchez gave the teen a drink of Smirnoff and then told her siblings to go home, adding that the teenage girl could spend the night with him.
Three months later after Sanchez raped her, the girl found out that she was pregnant with his child, as confirmed by a DNA test.
In May 2023, Sanchez was arrested — more than a year after raping the girl. He is currently been charged with felony sexual assault of a child.
Legal analysts explained that the reason why the bond price is so low is because Sanchez was not indicted within a 90-day window of his arrest, as required by law.
“If the State misses that deadline, then unfortunately for the state at that particular point, the court has to address what is a reasonable bond for this case,” Todd DuPont, a legal analyst, said.
DuPont then clarified that a “reasonable bond” is the most amount of money a defendant swears one can afford.
“If a dollar is all this person has and swears to it, the person has to fill out a financial affidavit, swearing to their financial status,” he said.
The Harris County District’s Attorney Office said in its statement that Sanchez is still charged with felony sexual assault of a child.
“… if he is released on bond, he will remain under house arrest with an ankle monitor and an exclusionary zone regarding the victim and other children.”
Court records indicated that, as of late Thursday afternoon, Sanchez remains in jail and that his next court date is set for November.
