Two Slidell men booked after
having sex with girls age 12, 14

By Erik Sanzenbach
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, October 30, 2009 9:17 AM CDT

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The St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men after they admitted to having sex with a 12-year-old and a 14-year old girl two weeks ago.

According to Capt. George Bonnett, Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Arturo Govea, 19, 827 Ashville St., Slidell has been charged with aggravated rape, and Elias Hernandez, 25, same address, has been charged with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Deputies found out about the two men Oct. 10, when the father of three girls from the Pearl River area called the Sheriff’s Office to report that they were missing.

Investigators discovered that a man, who was a friend of one of the sisters had taken all three girls over to his home on Ashville, where he lived with “numerous” other men including Govea and Hernandez, Bonnett said.

Detectives started questioning the men, and Govea admitted that he had sex with the 12-year-old girl sometime between Oct. 10 and 11. After more questioning, detectives discovered that Hernandez had had sex with the 14-year-old girl during the same span of time. Bonnett said that the third sister was not involved in any sexual activity.

Both men were arrested. Both Govea and Hernandez are in the St. Tammany Jail. Govea is being held without bond, and Hernandez is held under a $50,000 bond.

Bonnett explained that Govea was charged with aggravated rape because the girl was under the age of 13, which makes it a capital offense, and if found guilty, Govea could face the death penalty.

Bonnett said that Detective Rabelais of the Slidell Police Department was also involved in the investigation.

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Comments

7 comment(s)

Ebyrdstarr wrote on Nov 5, 2009 11:15 AM:

" Lucinda, I've been checking back with this newspaper for just such a correction. Whether the death penalty statute remains technically on the books in Louisiana or not, the district court is absolutely bound by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. "

Lucinda wrote on Nov 3, 2009 4:23 PM:

" Ebyrdstar, your post seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Wonder why the newspaper has not checked this out themselves and reported back to us why the sheriff thinks he can ignore the Supreme Court decision regarding disallowing execution for rape where no murder occurred. You'd think they would want to make a news issue of that.

Heck, you'd think the people of Slidell would want to know why the sheriff said what he did. I grew up in Slidell and I want to know. "

My Town wrote on Nov 2, 2009 9:14 PM:

" Obviously the parents are not paying very close attention, I know my parents would not let me disappear for hours, and always knew where I was and who I was with. Beat the kid a few good times, b/c I know they are not "innocent" and those guys are not "from" slidell, they may have lived here but they are from Mexico! Look at them! So before you make your smart comments, think logically "OUTCAST" "

OUTCAST wrote on Oct 31, 2009 5:43 AM:

" ONLY IN SLIDELL. "

Joe wrote on Oct 30, 2009 4:56 PM:

" Maybe the parents should be looked at as well. I'd be willing to bet this is not the first time for these girls. Send the men to prison and the girls to a juvinile facility in 3 or 4 years you will read about these same sister going to jail for something or other might as well start the process now....or/and beat the little jazebelles butts probally why they so "wild" they got time out instead of the belt where it counts. "

Ebyrdstarr wrote on Oct 30, 2009 4:16 PM:

" The Sheriff's Office is wrong. Govea cannot face the death penalty. The United States Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Louisiana, a June 2008 case, that no state could execute any defendant for child rape alone. There has to be a murder. "

javasgirl wrote on Oct 30, 2009 12:53 PM:

" It's hard to believe a 12 or 14 year old would be "friends" with adult men, so the story leaves the reader to assume the sister NOT involved must have been much older than the sisters who were involved. With that said... The older sister should be in jail for pimping out her sisters. "

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