Man charged with violating Megan’s Law
A Houston man who pleaded guilty to statutory sexual assault and indecent assault after having sex with a 15-year-old girl at his home a year ago was arraigned Thursday on three counts of violating Megan’s Law filed by North Strabane Township police.
Felix Jesus Cruz Jr., 21, was charged after township police were notified Feb. 19 by the mother of a 16-year-girl that he was picking up her daughter after school at Canon-McMillan High School when the girl was supposed to be riding the school bus. The two reportedly met on Facebook.
Police said they later learned Cruz had picked up the girl on numerous occasions and they reportedly had sex in his vehicle in December and January.
Cruz, who pleaded guilty in the statutory sex assault case last September, allegedly failed to give state police information about his Facebook account and information about his primary vehicle on Sept. 12, 2015. Cruz also allegedly failed to update his current address with state police Feb. 5.
Cruz, who has been in Washington County jail on a probation violation since Feb. 24, also is wanted on a warrant obtained by state police from District Judge Curtis Thompson on a charge of interfering with the custody of children. He was reportedly found in Cokeburg with a missing girl. It was not immediately clear if that was the Canon-McMillan student or another girl.
Cruz was arraigned by video before District Judge Jay Weller, who set bond on the North Strabane charges at $10,000. Cruz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Weller on March 23.