Judge gives illegal man $2M bond for attack
MADISON — An El Salvadorian man accused of sexual battery here had his bond set at almost $2 million on Friday.
The man, Jose Rigoberta Meija-Cubias, 37, was arrested and charged last week with sexual battery of a physically helpless person, three counts of photographing another without permission where there is an expectation of privacy, and tampering with evidence, Madison Police Lieutenant Micah Taylor said.
Taylor said Meija-Cubias had his initial appearance in Madison Municipal Court on Friday, Jan. 31, where he met before a judge and was given his total bond of $1.85 million on the charges that included the following:
• Sexual Battery of a Physically Helpless Person- $1,000,000.00 in bond.
• Tampering with Evidence- $250,000.00 in bond.
• Three counts of Photographing Another Without Permission Where There is an Expectation of Privacy- $200,000.00 on each charge for a total of $600,000.00 in bond for the three charges.
Meija-Cubias is currently housed at the Madison County Detention Center. Mejia-Cubias’s case will be presented to a grand jury, Taylor said.
Taylor said ICE had placed a detainer on Meija-Cubias as he was previously deported from the United States in 2010.
When asked if Meija-Cubias could be deported before he could stand trial here, Taylor said, “No.”
On Jan. 30, at about 1:20 a.m., the Madison Police Department received a call regarding a female who had been sexually assaulted at Fernando's Restaurant, 121 Colony Crossing Way, Taylor said. The suspect was an employee at the restaurant.
Officers with the Madison Police Department began investigating the sexual assault which led to the arrest of Meija-Cubias.
Taylor said Meija-Cubias was located at Fernando’s Restaurant, where he was taken into custody while a search warrant was conducted.
“During the course of the search warrant, Investigators came into contact with several suspected illegal aliens that were employed at the restaurant,” Taylor said. “U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responded to the scene and took a total of seven illegal aliens into custody.”
Taylor said he had no further information on those detained by ICE and had no further updates on Meija-Cubias’ case.
“Due to the nature of the case and its victim, there will be no other information released at this time,” Taylor said.
These arrests come after a reported 29 individuals were brought through the Madison County Detention Center between Monday, Jan. 20, when President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated for his second term, and Tuesday, Jan 28, on charges of being in the country illegally.
Individuals arrested by federal agencies ranging from the FBI to ATF to ICE are typically held at the Madison County jail, though their arrest could have taken place in another jurisdiction.
Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker said they are merely a holding facility for the feds and have no information about any of the arrests or their case dispositions.