SAN PEDRO–Miguel Hernandez, 30, a businessman of the DFC area of San Pedro, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl, who is also a resident of the DFC area.

He was taken to the San Pedro Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he appeared in front of Magistrate Sherigne Rodriguez, who arraigned him on the charge and ordered that he be remanded to jail until December 30.

The allegation is that he gave the girl rum and coke to drink, and subsequently raped her.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 9, in the area near Corona Del Mar Hotel, located on Coconut Drive in San Pedro.

On Thursday, October 9, the girl and her mother went to the police, where the girl reported that on that day, she was in the Escalante area, walking towards the beach when Hernandez, whom she knows, drove up in a vehicle and offered to give her a ride home.

The girl boarded the vehicle, and he then drove to a nearby store where he bought a quart of rum and two pints of Coca-Cola with ice, and some plastic cups. He then poured rum and coke into a cup and gave it to the girl to drink. After giving her several drinks, he took her to an area near Corona Del Mar Hotel, where he raped her.

The girl was taken to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where she was examined by a doctor who certified that she had been raped.

Police went on the hunt for Hernandez and reeled him in on Monday, and charged him with the crime. He was then taken to court on Tuesday.