The man identified by authorities as a member of a Venezuelan gang is charged in Crawford County Court with sexual assault and child abuse.
The man identified by authorities as a member of a Venezuelan gang is charged in Crawford County Court with sexual assault and child abuse.
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WXOW) - The man identified by authorities as a member of a Venezuelan gang is charged in Crawford County Court with sexual assault and child abuse.
Alejandro Coronel Zarate appeared from the Crawford County Jail for the hearing on Wednesday afternoon.
Through an interpreter, he was informed of the six charges against him. Besides a charge of 2nd Degree Sexual Assault/Use of Force and Child Abuse, he was also charged with two counts of Battery, one count of Strangulation, and one count of Disorderly Conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim said that Coronel Zarate choked her during an argument where they lived.
When the victim's daughter tried to get him to stop, the complaint said he grabbed her by the hair and shoved her, causing her to hit her head.
The victim later told police that Coronel Zarate sexually assaulted her twice on September 4.
The complaint said that, "Victim 1 stated that while he was hurting her he said "I get away with it. I'm a criminal."
The complaint said that police saw that the victim spoke with a raspy voice that she said was a result of the choking. She also had bruises on her neck, arms, and legs.
When the victim said that she was going to the doctor, he told her not to say anything about the assault or she would get in trouble.
The victim said she feared for her 17-year-old child who was sleeping in the same camper they were staying in at they time.
After his arrest, Prairie du Chien Police Chief Kyle Teynor said that Coronel Zarate is suspected of having an affiliation with a known violent transnational criminal organization known as “Tren de Aragua.” The organization is known for a variety of criminal activities, such as murder, kidnapping, extortion, drug and weapons trafficking and human smuggling/trafficking.
The next hearing for Coronel Zarate is scheduled for October 21.
He remains in the Crawford County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.
