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Illegal alien hired by family sentenced for raping their 11-year-old multiple times

October 9, 2025 | | Print Article

An El Salvadoran illegal alien living in Virginia has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping an 11-year-old girl last year.

The illegal, 35-year-old Ricardo Leonel Mejia, was hired by the family of the victim in 2024 to renovate one of their bathrooms, according to station WVEC.

Later on Oct. 9, 2024, as the victim’s mother was checking up on her (the victim) before going to bed, the mother discovered that her door was locked. The mother then used a butter knife to pop the door open, at which time she found Mejia naked in the victim’s bed.

“Mejia jumped out of bed, grabbed some of his clothes, and jumped through an open window,” according to WVEC.

When questioned by investigators, Mejia admitted to having raped the underage victim three times — twice in her bedroom, and once in the bathroom when her parents weren’t home.

The victim, meanwhile, confirmed to the police that she and Mejia had engaged in sexual intercourse.

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“A physical examination was conducted on the victim, and forensic analysis determined that Mejia’s DNA and spermatozoa were present on the victim,” according to a City of Virginia Beach press release.

On June 17 of this year, Mejia pleaded guilty. On Oct. 7, he was sentenced on three counts of rape to 75 years in prison with 45 years suspended, meaning he’ll have to serve 30 years.

The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that he’ll serve his sentence in the Virginia Department of Corrections before eventually being transferred into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation.

Mejia reportedly apologized to the victim while in court.

“I know I am not the only one experiencing hard times,” he said, according to station WTKR. “I’m sorry for the pain she is going through in this process.”

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Crime analyst Richard James previously told the station that Mejia’s crime was a huge violation of trust.

“That is a clear violation of trust for someone who clearly understands the layout of your home, how to get in your house, and how to get out of your home,” he said.

Mejia’s actions have sparked criticism against Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who wants to turn the state into a “sanctuary” for illegals.

In an interview last month with the Virginia Mercury, Spanberger admitted that if elected, she intends to undo an executive order from current Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, that forces local law enforcement to assist ICE agents in their immigration crackdown.

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“I would rescind his executive order, yes,” she said. “Our immigration system is absolutely broken.”

“The idea that we would take local police officers or local sheriff’s deputies in amid all the things that they have to do, like community policing or staffing our jails or investigating real crimes, so that they can go and tear families apart … that is a misuse of those resources,” she added.

She also shared her opinion that ICE agents shouldn’t be able to scoop up illegal aliens without a warrant.

“They have to have a warrant to pick somebody up off the street, so they meet that same standard [as any other crime],” she insisted. “And they can easily go get that detention order signed by a judge or a magistrate, if they want that local support.”

Locals responded to her words with fury:

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Vivek Saxena
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