Illegal immigrant faces aggravated rape, armed robbery
A 27-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico has pled not guilty to one count of aggravated rape and one count of armed robbery after Judge Lauren Lemmon determined on July 13 that he was competent to stand trial, the man’s attorney, David Moyer, said.
Marcos A. Jiminez, who resided at 121 Lakewood Dr. Apt. 73 at the time of his arrest, allegedly raped the victim at knifepoint at a local hotel and took an undetermined amount of cash in February of 2006. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office said they ascertained Jiminez’s identity from the hotel’s surveillance cameras.
Sheriff Greg Champagne said at the time that Jiminez was living in an apartment with six other illegal Mexican immigrants. It appears as if the group was living and working in the parish during reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Katrina, he said.
On Feb. 6, 2007, Jiminez was deemed incompetent to stand trial and doctors thought that he might have been mentally disabled. Since that time, Jiminez has been undergoing medical rehabilitation, Moyer said.
At the July 13 competency hearing, doctors said that Jiminez was not mentally disabled, but was instead confused and scared at the time of the sanity commission, Moyer said.
Now that Jiminez can stand trial, there will be a motion hearing on Aug. 19.
In Louisiana, aggravated rape carries a mandatory life sentence and armed robbery carries a sentence that ranges from 10 years to 99 years.
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