HARLINGEN — A 57-year-old Harlingen man is expected to be arraigned today in a case in which he is accused of fathering the baby of a relative.
Juan Enrique De La Cruz faces a charge of prohibited sexual conduct, a second-degree felony, after DNA tests found he fathered the relative’s aborted fetus, Gus Reyna, chief deputy of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department, said yesterday.
Reyna said De La Cruz is accused of having forced sex with the relative for “a few years.”
In May, the department launched an investigation after the relative told deputies he forced sexual intercourse that left her pregnant, Reyna said.
“The victim stated she could not proceed with the pregnancy so she initiated the abortion process,” Reyna said.
Reyna said DNA tests found De La Cruz was the father of the fetus.
On Tuesday, De La Cruz turned himself in to the authorities after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest Aug. 30, Reyna said.
