Man used candy to lure young girls into trailer and sexually assault them, feds say
A 65-year-old man was found guilty after being accused of sexually assaulting girls in New Mexico, federal officials said.
Between January 2016 and January 2020, Joel Ruiz, of Dulce, is accused of using candy to lure girls younger than 12 into his trailer to sexually assault them, according to a Jan. 20 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
One girl told the jury during her testimony that Ruiz had sexually abused her when she was 6 or 7 years old, federal officials said.
The sexual assault happened on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, but the girl and Ruiz are not registered tribal members, officials said.
Another girl told the jury Ruiz abused her when she was 3 or 4 years old, officials said. Both girls said Ruiz used candy to lure them and detailed the same type of abuse to the jury, according to the release.
The jury found him guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, prosecutors said.
McClatchy News reached out to Ruiz’s lawyer on Jan. 22 for a statement and was awaiting a response.
Ruiz is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years to life in prison, the release said. He does not yet have a sentencing date.
Jicarilla is about 140 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.
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