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Sandoval County man in jail on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault of 13-year old girl

Feb 18, 2026 | 11:43 AM
Rio Rancho, NM (KKOB) – The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau arrested a 34-year-old man following an investigation into the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in Rio Rancho.  The 13-year-old was reported missing by her family in Rio Rancho on February 14, after she was longboarding near her home when the suspect approached her, claiming to be an Uber driver sent by her father. The victim reported that the suspect threatened to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle. The victim stated that the suspect drove her to several unknown locations before taking her to a secluded area where he instructed her to smoke marijuana and ordered her into the back seat where he sexually assaulted her.  The suspect later took the victim to another location, where assaulted her a second time.  On February 15th, Albuquerque Police responded to a call from a gas station, where the juvenile reported she had been kidnapped.  The victim told officers that she convinced the suspect to let her use the restroom, which gave her the opportunity to escape and seek help.  She identified the suspect’s vehicle when police arrived and officers began a pursuit which ended with the suspect being arrested.
Ruben Dario Gonzalez, told agents he is currently employed as a delivery driver, and claimed that while delivering orders, he noticed the victim who appeared upset and offered her a ride home after completing his deliveries.  He alleges the victim voluntarily entered the vehicle, that they communicated using Google Translate, and that the sexual encounter was consensual saying he thought the girl was 21-years old.
Gonzalez was arrested and booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center and is charged with the following:
• Kidnapping (in the First Degree)
• Criminal Sexual Penetration in the Second Degree (Child 13-18 Years Old)
• Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor

 

 

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