Sauk Centre Man Accused of Assaulting Girl at a Park

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A Sauk Centre man is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at a park.

Stearns County authorities say the 15-year-old girl went to the Sauk Centre Police station on Tuesday to report she had just been sexually assaulted at Sinclair Lewis Park.

Court records show the girl told authorities that a Spanish-speaking man approached her, led her into the woods, and sexually assaulted her.

He told her that he would return to the park the next day to see her again.

Officers went to the park on Wednesday and saw 32-year-old Darwin Velasquez Laguna pull into the parking lot and act like he was looking for someone. The girl's description of the suspect matched Velasquez Laguna and police arrested him.

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According to the charges, Velasquez Laguna initially denied having any sexual contact with the girl but later admitted he did.

Velasquez Laguna is charged with 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between 14 and 15 years old and has a court hearing scheduled for later this month.

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