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An illegal immigrant from El Salvador has been sentenced to 30 years for repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl in Virginia Beach, local officials said Wednesday.
The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office shared Ricardo Leonel Mejia’s custody status on X and cited “numerous public inquiries” about Mejia’s case.
“Mejia, a citizen of El Salvador, will serve his 30-year sentence at the Virginia Department of Corrections before being transferred to ICE custody,” the post read.
The case has sparked debate among Virginia’s leaders who are disputing whether the state should limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger says that one of her first acts in office would be to reverse Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s immigration enforcement policies making Virginia a “sanctuary state,” according to the Republican Governors Association.
This policy would prevent local law enforcement from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases like Mejia’s, where ICE has issued a detainer for an undocumented immigrant convicted of serious crimes.
Virginia GOP governor candidate, Winsome Earle-Sears reacted by sharing a post on X and said she was “sickened beyond words.”
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Meija, 35, was convicted of multiple counts of raping a child under 13, indecent liberties with a minor, and statutory burglary after pleading guilty in Virginia Beach Circuit Court, according to documents seen by Fox News Digital.
The assaults happened in 2024, when Mejia was hired to renovate a family’s bathroom.
The abuse came to light when the victim’s mother discovered him in her daughter’s bed after forcing open a locked door with a butter knife.
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Mejia fled the home through a window, but was later identified and arrested.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Mejia was in the country illegally and has issued a detainer.
Following his sentence at the Virginia Department of Corrections, ICE said he will be transferred to custody for further proceedings.
During his sentencing, Mejia apologized to the victim, saying, “I know I am not the only one experiencing hard times. I’m sorry for the pain she is going through in this process.”
Records show Mejia was booked into the Virginia Beach Correctional Center on Oct. 9, 2024.
Fox News Digital reached out to Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
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