Case of Haitian migrant accused of rape at Rockland Comfort Inn moved to superior court
HINGHAM − The Haitian migrant accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at a Rockland hotel in March has been indicted on the charges, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz' office.
A grand jury returned indictments Tuesday, May 21, charging Corey B Alvarez, 26, with one count each of aggravated rape of a child with 10-year age difference and rape of a child by force, according to information from the DA's office.
The indictment transfers the case from Plymouth District Court to Plymouth Superior Court, where more serious cases are tried and defendants can face longer sentences if convicted.
Alvarez continues to be held without bail since his arrest and a subsequent dangerousness hearing March 22. He has pleaded not guilty.
Cruz' office said Alvarez will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court at a later date.
What Alvarez is accused of doing
Alvarez was arrested by Rockland police March 13 after they were called to the Comfort Inn at 850 Hingham St. for a report of a sexual assault. The hotel is part of part of a state program to house migrant families, and both Alvarez and the 15-year out girl who accused him of the assault had been staying there, police said.
The girl, who speaks French Creole, told police through a translator that Alvarez raped her in his room while she was getting help with using apps on a tablet. She said Alvarez pushed her onto the bed before sexually assaulting her, according to the police report.
"He raped me," the girl said to investigators during their interview with her at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, where she had been taken for evaluation that evening. according to the police report. “I told him to leave me alone, but he didn’t stop.”
Comfort Inn in Rockland being used as homeless shelter
Massachusetts has a right-to-shelter law, which guarantees housing to homeless families and pregnant women. Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in August 2023 due to a "severe" lack of shelters available to the rapidly rising numbers of migrant families arriving in the state.
Other locations around the state, including a soon-to-open 450-peorson housing shelter at the closed Bay State Correctional Center in Norwell and Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, have opened in an effort to accommodate the overflow.
More: Rockland rape case gets national attention, stokes anti-migrant sentiment
The case has gained national attention, especially by right-leaning media outlets, and has been used in fundraising efforts by former President Donald Trump in his reelection campaign.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Rockland Comfort Inn rape case: Migrant indicted by grand jury
