Illegal immigrant accused of raping an Horry County child granted bond — but there’s a catch
An illegal immigrant accused of raping a child was granted bond, but won’t be released as federal officials determine his immigration status.
Miguel Solorio Almanza appeared via video in Horry County Court on Tuesday for a bond hearing. Judge Steven John granted him a $75,000 bond, but attorneys said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division (ICE) has a hold on him because of his immigration status.
As a result, its unlikely Almanza will leave jail.
Horry County police arrested Almanza in December and charged him with first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Jose Antonio Sandoval was also charged in connection to the incident, but was not in court Tuesday.
Horry County police started their investigation after an anonymous parent said Almanza molested several girls, and a school counselor spoke to one of the alleged victims, according to a police report.
Almanza is bilingual and served as an emergency contact for several children because their parents only spoke Spanish, according to the report. He also helped several Spanish-speaking families register for school.
Almanza serves as the landlord for some of the families and provides transportation, the report states.
At one time, the school called Almanza because the girl had lice, according to the report. The girl said Almanza took her back to his house, where both Almanza and Sandoval assaulted her.
The victim was upset when Almanza dropped her off at home, and her father asked about her condition, the report states. The victim initially said only Almanza touched her.
After the victim told her father, there were no additional assaults, according to the reports.
The victim told the school counselor she was assaulted by both men on multiple occasions and Almanza bought her clothes and gifts to keep her quiet. He also made threats to have the families deported.
Almanza’s defense attorney, Brad Richardson, said his client has lived in the area for 20 years. He also questioned the credibility of the child.
Assistant Solicitor Leigh Andrew said the state had concerns that Almanza is a flight risk as he helped others relocate from out-of-the-country to Horry County.
“If he got deported, he would probably just come back,” she said.
