Arizona Man Charged For Sexually Assaulting A Woman On The Fort Mohave Indian Reservation In Laughlin

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An Arizona man had his initial appearance in federal court today on charges related to the sexual assault of a woman at a Laughlin resort and casino on the Fort Mohave Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson.

Richard Anthony Hernandez, 23, a non-Indian from Fort Mohave, Arizona, is charged by a complaint with one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated sexual abuse. He was arrested Wednesday and appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman, who ordered him detained pending trial.

According to allegations contained in the complaint, on September 24, 2018, Hernandez and a woman, who is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, entered a room at Avi Resort & Casino, which is located on the Fort Mohave Indian Reservation, in Laughlin, Nevada. As alleged, he repeatedly struck her in the face and body, and sexually assaulted her in the room.

Upon arrival, officers from the Fort Mohave Tribal Police Department noticed the room was in disarray, there was blood spatter on the walls and near the door, and there was blood on the beds. After speaking with the victim, who had numerous injuries consistent with having been assaulted, and reviewing the hotel’s surveillance footage, Hernandez was interviewed by the FBI and arrested.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 11, 2018. The maximum statutory penalty for Aggravated Sexual Abuse is up to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine and the maximum statutory penalty for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury is up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Fort Mohave Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. is prosecuting the case.

###