Suspect in 2011 rape of 60-year-old woman arrested in Texas

By Gregan Wingert

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 | 5:08 p.m.

A Las Vegas man accused of raping an elderly woman in September was arrested this weekend in El Paso, Texas, according the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.

Martin Rivas, 47, has been charged with three felony counts of sexual assault of a victim 60 years of age or older and two gross misdemeanor counts of open or gross lewdness, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

A warrant for Rivas’ arrest was issued after a woman told police a neighbor in her apartment complex had sexually assaulted her on Sept. 2, 2011, according to a Metro Police report.

Police say the woman had known Rivas for about four months. Rivas and another neighbor had been assisting the woman with day-to-day chores while she recovered from a recent back surgery, the report said.

The woman told police that Rivas knocked on her door and appeared to be drunk on the evening in question, the report said.

Rivas asked if he could come inside the woman’s apartment and sit on her couch, the report said. The woman let Rivas inside her apartment and allowed him to stay on her couch where he fell asleep.

Rivas entered the woman’s room later that night and asked to use the restroom.

Minutes later Rivas disrobed, climbed into the woman’s bed and sexually assaulted her against her will, the report said.

The woman asked Rivas what he was doing and told him multiple times to stop, according to the report.

Four days later the woman reported the incident.

When police started investigating, they learned that Rivas had moved out of the neighboring apartment and police were unable to contact or locate him, the report said.