Pecos man accused of molesting 8-year-old girl
A 26-year-old Pecos man has been arrested following accusations that he made inappropriate contact with an 8-year-old girl he was babysitting.
Jacob M. Varela was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center Tuesday morning on one count of criminal sexual contact with a minor, a second-degree felony.
A warrant for Varela’s arrest was issued Oct. 7 following an investigation by New Mexico State Police that began in August.
According to the arrest warrant, in late August, a woman called police to report that her juvenile daughter told her Varela had inappropriately touched her while the girl was at her father’s home in Pecos. The girl’s father told police he’d met Varela about five years ago, and said Varela would sometimes watch his daughter while he was at work.
The incident, which took place when the girl was 8 years old, happened at her father’s home. The girl told investigators that she had been asleep at the time, but woke up when Varela touched her buttocks.
Varela appeared Monday in San Miguel Magistrate Court where Judge Melanie Rivera set Varela’s bond at $20,000 cash only. Varela remained in custody at SMCDC as of this writing.
Varela was also arrested Sept. 2 in Santa Fe after Santa Fe police responded to a Walmart store. According to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe Magistrate Court, police reviewed surveillance video that showed Varela remove a new pair of shoes from a box, placed the shoes he wore into the store into the box and then walked out of the store wearing the new shoes. According to police, Varela also admitted to stealing the shoes, which were valued at $14.97. Police searched Varela and located cocaine and drug paraphernalia in a pocket of the jeans he was wearing. He was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
This past May, Varela pleaded guilty to a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, and a misdemeanor count of DWI. The incident stemmed from an October 2018 traffic stop by NMSP where, according to a criminal complaint, Varela admitted to driving while high, and police located cocaine on Varela. He was also convicted in 2013 for contributing to the delinquency of a minor after providing alcohol to a 17-year-old boy.
Varela is due in court Oct. 24 for an arraignment hearing in his latest case.
