Police Provide The Latest on Enterprise Man Accused of Raping “Mentally Incapacitated” Teen

COFFEE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) —Coffee County police say Pablo Mendoza, the Enterprise man who is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, is not somebody who is new to the city.

They say he may have been there long term, but they are working to confirm specific information.

“We’re still trying to figure out how he got here, and how long he’s been here, but we’re still working on that. It’s an active investigation.” says Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd.

Mendoza is currently being held in the Coffee County Jail without bond.

Once Mendoza’s case is complete, he faces deportation back to his home country.

Elected officials across the state are reacting to the case, largely focusing on the alleged perpetrator’s immigration status.

In a statement, Rep. Barry Moore says, “The blood and the broken hearts of these tragedies are on Biden’s hands.”

Sen. Katie Britt writes on X, formerly Twitter, “How many more families will have to suffer before this admin finally reverses course?”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville accuses Biden of “aiding and abetting these monsters.”

While some politicians and figures try to link people in the country illegally to higher crime rates, experts and data disagree.

Studies from the Migration Policy Institute and the Cato Institute find crime rates among undocumented individuals are lower than the general population.

According to Dr. Alexandra Filindra from the University of Illinois Chicago, while the alleged rape is wrong, she says anti-immigrant rhetoric can have repercussions for both legal and undocumented people.

“It is very, very dangerous and can lead to mob violence against immigrants as well,” she says.

She adds the presence of undocumented people does not make a community more prone to crime.

In fact, she says they are less likely to commit crimes. But, they are more likely to be victims and not to report.

She says, “If you have people who are afraid to come out and report crimes, that reduces security for the entire community.”

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