Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
OTHELLO – A local couple was arrested Monday, Oct. 17, in connection with a child rape case initially reported in February.
Edgar Fermin Sales-Andres, 28, was arrested for first-degree rape of a child, the Adams County Jail log shows. Junanna Santos-Gutierrez, 37, was arrested for rendering criminal assistance.
The bookings in the jail com nearly eight months after deputies received a report of sexual abuse of a child in the 300 block of South Reynolds Road.
The report was made Feb. 23 after a 3-year-old child was taken to a local clinic and the medical staff were suspicious of statements made by Santos-Gutierrez, Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a social media post.
Santos-Gutierrez was uncooperative with police at the time and refused to identify who had abused her daughter, the sheriff said.
Through the investigation, deputies determined that the mother’s boyfriend, Sales-Andres, had been living with the mother and daughter, the sheriff said.
Sales-Andres was subsequently arrested Oct. 17 and booked into the jail, as was Santos-Gutierrez.
“We are grateful for the medical staff that reported this to law enforcement; they are mandatory reporters,” Sheriff Wagner said.
Child Protective Services is assisting deputies in the case.
Roger Harnack is the co-owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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