The Level Plains Police chief sometimes deals with the worst of the worst. However, a recent case had him struggling to keep his composure as he faced the decision to do what he thought was morally right or legally correct.
It was last week when Chief Johnny Summers said the Department of Human Resources (DHR) requested a welfare check on a pregnant teen.
With an interpreter, the chief and a lieutenant responded to the home to find a mother and 14-year-old child crying. The child told police her stepfather raped her and impregnated her.
"It's awful," Summers said. "Let me explain something to you. It takes swallowing personal feelings and being professional to deal with this. How I get by is I realize we're trying to help somebody, take them out of harm's way and that's the only thing that keeps me because I thought about that hurt the little girl being my daughter and how I would want her taken care of."
The victim identified the perpetrator as Martin Torrez Alonzo, 29.
Police went to Alonzo's work, where they said he admitted to raping his stepdaughter. He was arrested and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and second-degree sodomy.
According to an indictment, Alonzo "did engage in deviate sexual intercourse" with the victim "by forcible compulsion."
According to Summers, Alonzo is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.
Unfortunately, Summers said, due to cultural differences, this type of behavior is not unheard of in local immigrant communities.
"In our area, we have a lot of illegals, and you know, I don't care about status," he said. "They're hard-working people, but a lot of times in this demographic, they seem to think that it's okay where they are to do this stuff, but it ain't okay here. If you're going to be here, you're going to follow our laws and you're going to be held accountable."
The chief said he isn't sure about the stepdaughter aspect of this incident, but he did say it is common to see men in their late twenties to early thirties with 14-year-old girls.
"It's very common when they're not related for it to be that big of an age difference," he explained.
Alonzo remains in the Dale County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond. The case will be presented to a grand jury on March 24, 2025.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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