5 Men Arrested In North Carolina Domestic Invasion, Charged With Sexual Assault
Five people have been arrested in connection with the home invasion and charged with sexual harassment, officials say the case was targeted.
Zaid Mayen-Esteban again Jonathan David Garcia-Larios were arrested on February 13 following their alleged involvement in a home invasion in the Cherry Oaks neighborhood of Greenville, North Carolina, which occurred on February 11.
Mayen-Esteban, 21, and Garcia-Larios, 20, were both charged with first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to murder, aggravated assault and first-degree burglary in connection with the incident.
John Carlos Calderon was arrested on February 16, when Pedro Miguel Vivanco again
Kevin Eduardo Morales Lara were arrested on Monday, February 23, for the same charges as Mayen-Esteban and Garcia-Larios.
All five suspects are being held without bond. At the moment it is not clear whether any of the suspects have confessed or have been retained by a lawyer after their arrest.
“It’s a complex and evolving investigation,” Sgt Lee Darnell said following the arrest of the first two, according to the Reflector. “We’re still investigating it and we’re limited as to what can be said … but I would say it was a targeted and unplanned crime.”
The sheriff’s office also described the case as “violent” in a news release.
The arrest warrant indicated that the burglars forced their way into the home with the intention of assaulting the victim, according to the exit. It is reported that these men injured the deceased with a sharp weapon, and also stopped the victim against his will to beat him.
The warrant also stated that the suspects unlawfully detained, restrained and forced the victim from one place to another in an attempt to cause serious injury. Additionally, the perpetrators are accused of abusing the victim and abetting the commission of a forced sex crime.
The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office said one victim was transported to ECU Health for treatment of his injuries, according to WCTI 12. However, the extent of those injuries was not released as of press time.
The sheriff’s office did not release details about the victim, including his age, gender and where he lives. The home entered was a residence that often hosts short-term vacation rentals through AirBnB.
It is not clear if anyone else was in the house at the time of the attack.
Darnell said Wednesday that the incident appeared to be an isolated incident and added that detectives are pursuing “every lead” in their investigation.
After the initial arrest, the US Department of Homeland Security announced on February 19 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained Mayen-Esteban and Garcia-Larios.
The news release said both Mayen-Esteban and Garcia-Larios entered the United States illegally on unknown dates and times. Garcia-Larios was removed from the US in 2024, although he was illegally repatriated at an unknown date.
“This is a real-life nightmare. To break into, kidnap, beat, rape, and rip off the nails of an innocent victim is worse and worse,” Assistant Secretary. Tricia McLaughlin said the statement.
