The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office has arrested a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, officials said.
According to PBSO, on Jan. 2, shortly after 11 p.m., the teen was in the vicinity of Pinehurst Park and Forest Hill Blvd when the suspect a man approached her and began to sexually assault her.
At the time, the suspect was described as a Hispanic man between 30 and 40 years old who did not speak English.
On Jan. 11, detectives identified and located Santo Martinez Varela, who matched the suspect's description.
An immediate DNA search warrant was obtained, and confirmed his identity.
Through the investigation, detectives determined that Varela had crossed the Mexican border illegally in 2023 from Honduras, traveling to West Palm Beach without any contact with Border Patrol or law enforcement authorities.
Varela was subsequently arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. He faced a Palm Beach County judge Sunday morning.