Juan Pablo Delgado-Palma to Remain in Custody Pending Trial in Connection with Unsolved 2013 Rape

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Third Judicial District Attorney Fernando Macias announced Tuesday that the court granted the State’s expedited pretrial detention motion for Juan Pablo Delgado-Palma. He will remain in custody pending trial in connection with the rape of a 16-year-old in 2013.

After hearing testimony from the victim, District Court Judge Richard M. Jacquez found that Delgado-Palma poses a danger to the community and that no release conditions would reasonably ensure the safety of others.

On Dec. 25, 2013, the victim reported a sexual assault that occurred at a park located near Doña Ana Rd. She told Las Cruces police that she had walked to a park after a fight with her boyfriend. Shortly afterward, she said she woke up in a ditch to a man on top of her before losing consciousness. When she woke up, she walked to her parents’ house and reported the incident to police.

The victim described the suspect as a Hispanic man in his 30s with a hazy eye. She also underwent a sexual assault examination, during which DNA was collected. The sample was submitted to CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, but there was no immediate match on file.

In 2025, a DNA sample was collected from Delgado-Palma after he was detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Albuquerque. His DNA was entered into CODIS and it matched the DNA collected after the 2013 assault.

During the detention hearing, testimony from a Las Cruces Police Department detective revealed that Delgado-Palma’s photo ID matched the physical description provided by the victim in 2013.

Delgado-Palma, 53, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, and charged with one count of criminal sexual penetration of a minor.

“The defendant has a pattern of violating the law and violating orders of the court,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Heather Chavez. “The evidence presented in court, supported by the victim’s testimony, proves he is a danger to the community.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Heather Chavez id prosecuting the case on behalf of the State of New Mexico following an investigation by the Las Cruces Police Department.