Earlier this week, the Sioux County Sheriff published a press release detailing the arrest and charge of a person called Onofre Bernardo-Mendez. The 47-year-old was arrested on Feb. 22 by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and charged with sexual abuse in the third degree by force and tampering with a witness.
According to the release, Bernardo-Mendez used force to have sexual intercourse with a 20-year-old female. During the investigation, Bernardo-Mendez offered the 20-year-old victim cash with the intent to influence her testimony.
The Iowa Standard contacted the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office to inquire whether Bernardo-Mendez was a legal citizen of the United States. We confirmed Bernardo-Mendez was released to ICE and in the country illegally.