Bemidji Police Release New Info on Investigation into Rape of 11-Year-Old Girl

Bemidji police officials say the reported rape of an 11-year-old girl in Bemidji is likely an isolated incident.

In court documents, the victim in the case told investigators of other underage girls who were also assaulted in the basement where she was raped. Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin said in a press release today that they identified one of the females described by the girl and that person is an adult and did not report being assaulted. That person also told investigators that she was not aware of a third victim.

During the execution of the initial search warrant, Bemidji police detectives confirmed that there was not a third victim still in the residence and continue to investigate the possibility of a third victim.

Oscar Ernesto Luna, 22, of Mission, Texas, is being held in the Beltrami County Jail in connection with the rape of the 11-year-old victim. Luna faces one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct-1st Degree-Penetration or Contact under 14 while being at least 36 months older.

Luna was arrested last week and remains in custody in the Beltrami County Jail.

According to the criminal complaint in the case, Luna, along with four other men, sexually assaulted the victim with their hands and genitals in a home located at 1821 America Court NW. A physical examination at the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota showed the victim suffered numerous injuries from a sexual assault.

After executing a search warrant, 12 other individuals were located and identified. Mastin says the U.S. Border Patrol was requested to assist because of a language barrier and that none of these individuals could be immediately identified as suspects in this case. 11 were turned over to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Mastin says any involvement they may have in this case is still actively being investigated.

"Since this incident was first reported, Bemidji Police Detectives and Agents from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension have been diligently investigating this case to ensure there are no other victims and that those responsible are arrested," Mastin said. "This incident does appear to be isolated."

As the investigation continues, the Bemidji Police Department asks that everyone recognize the trauma and respect the privacy of the juvenile in this case.

The Bemidji Police Department is collaborating with numerous agencies across this state with the steadfast focus of solving this case and keeping all of our communities' children safe. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Bemidji Police Department at 218-333-9111.

https://lptv.org/bemidji-police-release-new-info-on-investigation-into-rape-of-11-year-old-girl/