YUMA, Ariz. (AP/KSAZ) - The U.S. Border Patrol says its agents have arrested a convicted rapist for the second time this year after he tried to illegally re-enter the United States.
The agency said Thursday that 57-year-old Mexican citizen Manuel Araujo-Dominguez was arrested in the early hours of Sunday along the Colorado River in the Yuma area. He had unsuccessfully tried to escape agents by running through farm fields and hiding among the crops.
Authorities stated, "During processing, agents identified Araujo-Dominguez as a felon with a criminal history dating back to vehicle theft in 1987, first-degree rape and first-degree burglary out of Hood River, Oregon in 1993, distribution of cocaine and strong-arm rape in 2008, and larceny in 2018. Additional record checks revealed convictions for taking a vehicle without owner's consent, driving under the influence, and criminal trespassing."
The Border Patrol in Yuma arrested him in March during an earlier attempt to re-enter the U.S. illegally.
Officials say during interviews, Araujo-Dominguez admitted that he was attempting to travel to Farmersville, California to live and work.
He will be prosecuted for re-entry after deportation as an aggravated felon.