“Valencia County Men Arrested for Kidnapping and Sexual Assault of Minor in Los Lunas: Victim Found Safe”

Accident – Death – Obituary News : LOS LUNAS — Two Valencia County men have been apprehended and charged with a series of serious crimes related to the abduction and sexual assault of a minor. The Los Lunas Police Special Investigations Unit has confirmed that a 16-year-old girl was the victim in this harrowing incident but has since been safely located.

According to the criminal complaint filed, the girl’s mother contacted the Valencia Regional Emergency Communications Center on November 8th to report her daughter missing after she failed to return home from school. On November 11th, the girl was discovered walking along Main Street in Los Lunas in the company of a man who was later identified as 32-year-old Raymond Padilla. They were intercepted by a Los Lunas Police Department officer near the river bridge close to Edeal Road.

The apprehension of Padilla and the discovery of the girl were the result of a concerned citizen’s welfare check call, as Lt. Nikki DeAnda of the Los Lunas Police Special Investigations Unit explained. The citizen reported that the female appeared distressed and uncomfortable, prompting officers to investigate further. It was during this investigation that it was revealed that the young girl was a reported missing person.

Initially, Padilla claimed to be the girl’s uncle, but he later retracted his statement. The girl, who was understandably frightened, did not disclose much information to the officer when she was first discovered.

Two days later, on November 13th, Lt. DeAnda received a call from the girl’s school resource officer. The victim requested to speak about the incident that had occurred, and a meeting was arranged in the school counselor’s office. After obtaining parental consent, Lt. DeAnda conducted an interview with the victim.

According to the criminal complaint, the girl recounted that on November 8th, while she was walking home from school in front of Wells Fargo Bank in Los Lunas, a Hispanic male on a bicycle approached her. The man asked if she wanted to smoke with him, but she declined. He then requested her assistance in fixing his bicycle, to which she reluctantly agreed. She followed him to an abandoned house, where she claimed Padilla threatened her, stating that she was not free to leave.

During this time, the girl alleged that Padilla also provided her with counterfeit fentanyl pills. Lt. DeAnda emphasized in the complaint that for someone who is not a user of such pills, the initial use often results in an overdose and even death. However, it can also render the user unable to process information and physically defend themselves.

The girl further stated that after leaving the abandoned house, she and Padilla went to a residence on Baylock Road in Los Lunas. The owner of the house, later identified as 36-year-old Dustin Chavez, arrived home and expressed displeasure at their presence. Chavez inquired about the girl’s age, and Padilla falsely claimed that she was 18. That same night, the girl alleged that Padilla sexually assaulted her despite her repeated assertions that she was only 16.

The following day, Chavez instructed them to vacate the premises by noon. As a result, the girl and Padilla left the house on foot and made their way to a residence located at 702 South Los Lentes Road, where they encountered several individuals using drugs. The victim stated that she and Padilla remained at this location until November 11th, with Chavez making regular appearances. Throughout this time, Padilla prohibited her from leaving, and he continued to coerce her into ingesting fentanyl pills and using what she believed to be methamphetamine at one point.

The criminal complaint revealed that during the three and a half days she was held against her will, the girl engaged in six or seven sexual encounters with Padilla, despite her repeated pleas to return home.

On November 11th, the girl and Padilla left Chavez’s residence and visited Dollar Tree before briefly stopping at Calvary Chapel Church. They eventually made their way to the river bridge in Los Lunas, where the girl was discovered by a Los Lunas Police Department officer.

Lt. DeAnda, in collaboration with the Los Lunas Police Department, located Chavez on November 15th at 702 South Los Lentes Road, the same location where Padilla and the girl had stopped previously. Padilla was apprehended on November 16th behind Smith’s in Los Lunas.

The South Los Lentes property, described as a “squat house,” was frequently visited by Chavez and Padilla, according to Lt. DeAnda. The girl positively identified both men in a photo lineup.

Both individuals have been booked into the Valencia County Detention Center, where they remain in custody. Chavez’s bond has been set at $10,000 cash or surety, while Padilla’s release is contingent upon posting a $5,000 cash bond. Should they be released, they are required to report to pretrial services and will be placed under GPS monitoring.

Chavez faces charges of conspiracy to commit child abuse, child abuse, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Padilla, on the other hand, is charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration, assault with intent to commit a violent felony, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and child abuse.

About the author:
Felina Martinez, a Valencia County native, graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2021. Her studies at UNM focused on interdisciplinary film, digital media, and journalism. Martinez’s reporting primarily centers on the village of Los Lunas, Los Lunas Schools, the School of Dreams Academy, and the town of Peralta..