A Lelia Lake man remained in custody Monday facing charges that he sexually assaulted a resident at the local nursing home where he worked.
Richard Sanchez, age 47, was being held on $120,000 total bond on three separate charges, according to Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn.
“It is a very heinous crime, and I hope a Donley County jury will deal with him harshly,” Blackburn said.
The sheriff said his office received a call from Community Care Center of Clarendon on April 27 that one of its residents had possibly been sexually assaulted. Authorities investigated the charge and obtained an arrest warrant for Sanchez, who was a CNA (Certified Nurse’s Aide) at the facility.
Sanchez was arraigned for sexual assault by Justice of the Peace Connie Havens, and bond was set at $20,000. As the investigation continued, Sanchez was charged with two additional counts of sexual assault and County Judge Jack Hall set bond of $50,000 for each of those charges.
Blackburn said his office has only found one victim during its investigation and also said that the nursing home had been extremely cooperative during the investigation.
Sanchez had worked at the facility for five years, the sheriff said. The alleged crimes occurred within the last two months, and the investigation is ongoing.
Nursing home administrator Susan Hodges gave the following statement to the Enterprise:
“The Department of Aging & Disability Services and local law enforcement were contacted, and investigations by both were conducted,” Hodges said. “It was concluded that the nursing home was in compliance with state regulations, and no deficiencies were cited.”
I hope he gets no deals and does hard time for this, absolutley sickening
Mr. Sanchez has not even been to trial yet, He is innocent until proven guilty. If he did commit the crime then he should do the time but its not fair to judge him until the investigation is complete.
It’s pathetic how people judge one another without knowing the facts.
It’s sad that one is “Guilty ” and being “discarded from society for ” Possibly assaulting” someone.
The sheriff down there sickens me. Get the facts FIRST then start judging and condeming
that person-you are doing that backwards. Let the jury sentence him NOT THE TOWN!!!
Wowwa Jolie, the Clarendon Enterprise and Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn!
Last I read; the District Court had not met to so much as choose a jury, much less convict Mr. Sanchez of a crime and send him away to TDCJ.
When I first read this article, I was extremely disappointed in the Clarendon Enterprise for printing it and in Butch Blackburn for siding with guilt, when guilt has yet to be proven. Last I knew, our country allowed for innocence before proven guilty. Surely no one reading this article wants to be tried and convicted by Butch Balckburn, Joli or the Clarendon Enterprise before ALL the facts come out, right?
How would any of us feel if accusations came out, the local Sheriff made inappropriate comments surrounding the case, including claiming guilt and how the courts should deal with you harshly, come on!
I encourage all parties mentioned, to wait and let the truth, the facts surrounding the case be revealed before a court of law, not just someone pointing the finger because an accusation has been made. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in this situation, especially in my hometown of Clarendon such as Mr. Sanchez.
all I was saying is that this SHOULD go to trial and IF he is guilty he should do hard time. Butch Blackburn is doing a fine job, to investigate these allegations and PROTECT the people of donley to ensure that this is not going on.
. Joli, when is the last time you sat on a Grand Jury? Why do YOU think this should go to trial? You have no idea what the facts are. You have no idea what the truth is. You are simply blowing smoke just like Butch Blackburn. It is discouraging to think that you feel that Butch Blackburn is “doing a fine job, to investigate the allegations and protect the people of Donley County.” When is the last time you were out of Clarendon or the Panhandle of Texas for that matter? Any man with any scruples to speak of, would have never made the statements that Butch Blackburn made to the media for printing. This should not be tolerated by the people of Donley County.
I say it again! Put yourself in Mr. Sanchez situation. Just what if….what if you were accused and your name was smeared all over your hometown, simple because of accusation. How would you feel? Would you feel justice was accomplished? Or that you had been wronged?
Yes, if the truth comes out, by all means a guilty man in this situation should be placed in TDCJ. But remember, this has yet to happen!
The precedence for Donley county offenses, of this nature, are to give the individual deferred adjudication, with counseling, and just maybe the DA will add on a request for some additional punishment.
And for the record Joli, you never mentioned ‘If he is guilty”, that is why I write tonight!