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Man Suspected of Kidnapping, Sexually Assaulting Runaway Teen

Police have arrested a Las Cruces man suspected of holding a 14-year-old runaway against her will and sexually assaulting the girl in his mobile home.

Johnny Christopher Wilson Lopez, 34, of the 900 block of east Madrid Avenue, is charged with a first-degree felony count of kidnapping, a second-degree felony count of criminal sexual penetration of a minor, a third-degree felony count of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a fourth-degree felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Las Cruces police investigators learned that a 14-year-old girl got into an argument with a relative on the evening of Friday, Nov. 3, and ran away from home sometime that night. As the girl tried to hide from family and a police officer, she hid behind a trailer where Lopez lives.

Investigators learned that Lopez saw the girl hide, and indicated to the police officer that the runaway had jumped a fence and fled the area. Lopez then pushed the girl underneath his mobile home where she stayed for a while to avoid detection.

Sometime later, investigators learned, Lopez gave the girl a cigarette, a bottled water and a sandwich. He then took her inside his mobile home where he proceeded to sexually assault the girl. Investigators learned that the girl, who did not know Lopez prior to this incident, tried to resist the attack but Lopez was armed with a handgun and used it to threaten the 14-year-old.

Investigators believe Lopez took the girl to a shed on his property and closed the door. When the girl saw that Lopez had left, she ran out of the shed and was subsequently located by an LCPD officer. After the girl was returned home, she disclosed to a relative what had occurred.

Lopez was arrested Friday evening and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he’s initially being held without bond.

Information from Las Cruces Police