Rigoberto Castro Hurtado appeared in court for a preliminary hearing Monday on charges of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and interference with official acts. The 34-year-old man is accused of fondling a 23-year-old female and threatening to take her to a hotel while forcing her to drive to Des Moines.
A Prairie City officer was notified of the situation by Jasper County Dispatch at 2:42 a.m. April 6 and located the suspect vehicle. After initiating a traffic stop, Hurtado — a passenger in the front seat — exited the vehicle and allegedly refused to obey the officer’s orders. When Hurtado attempted to re-enter the vehicle, the officer activated his taser, effectively stopping him, according to court documents.
The victim told authorities she pushed Hurtado away several times and that he threatened to kill three other male passengers — all in their mid-20s — in the back seat of the vehicle during the incident, but no one was injured.
Hurtado is being held in the Jasper County Jail on a $15,200 bond, and he is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges April 23. Assault with intent to commit sexual abuse is a serious misdemeanor with a penalty of no more than a year in jail and a fine between $250 and $1,500.
That must feel really good to know that you helped that young woman to safety. What a amazing ending!
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