A Haitian immigrant residing in a former Massachusetts hotel that is now housing asylum seekers was charged with raping a 15-year-old girl inside one of the rooms last week, according to authorities.
Cory Alvarez, 26, is being held without bail on an allegation of aggravated rape of a child after being apprehended by police in the Boston suburb of Rockland, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am appalled by the incident that took place in Rockland,” Massachusetts state Rep. David DecCoste told the Boston Herald last week. “Above all, my heartfelt sympathies go out to the young girl who has reportedly been abused,” the Republican senator stated. “The Commonwealth has failed this young girl.”
According to prosecutors, police were called to the former Comfort Inn motel on Hingham Street soon after 7 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving an allegation of sexual assault.
Cops discovered the teen victim of the assault and took her to South Shore Hospital.
Alvarez was accused of raping the girl and pled not guilty during his arraignment on Thursday. He was ordered jailed without bail until March 22.
The alleged assault occurred at the Comfort Inn, which is part of a joint state-federal program to shelter refugees seeking asylum in the United States.
The migrant crisis, which has overwhelmed New York City and other major cities, has raised fears about the possibility of crime in hotels and shelters housing asylum seekers, including a migrant gang assault on two NYPD cops near Times Square in January.
In another high-profile case, Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant, has been charged with the violent beating death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed on February 22 while out for a run on the University of Georgia campus. Last Friday, Massachusetts GOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale described the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl as “an absolute nightmare scenario.”
“I acknowledge the presence of well-intentioned and compassionate residents of Massachusetts who would like for the state to provide refuge for migrants during times of exigency,” Carnevale said in a statement to the Herald.
“However, it is critical to distinguish between suitable and inappropriate approaches to addressing this undertaking. The current episode highlights our state’s struggle to adequately manage the migrant problem, and an influx of new migrants may increase the risk of such tragic occurrences.”
According to the publication, Alvarez has now been placed under detention by federal immigration authorities.