A 66-year-old Edinburg man learned Monday he will spend 27 years in prison for sexually abusing a 7-year-old child continuously over a two-year period, the county said in a news release.
Miguel Angel Ruano is not eligible for parole.
Edinburg and McAllen police arrested him on Aug. 6, 2019.
The hearing happened over video-conferencing due to coronavirus restrictions in front of state District Judge Rose Guerra Reyna.
“I commend Chief Hope Palacios and her team for getting this violent sexual predator off our streets,” District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. said in a news release. “If you suspect child abuse we urge you to call our office or report the abuse to your local law enforcement office. It is up to all of us to speak up and end the cycle of abuse.”
Palacios heads the DA’s Special Crimes Division and worked with Edinburg and McAllen police, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Safe HAVEN and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hidalgo and Starr counties in prosecuting the case, according to the news release.
Authorities urge anyone who suspects child abuse to report it by calling (800) 252-5400, which is a hotline that is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
