A female counselor accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl she was supposed to be helping has been arrested in Mexico after nine years on the lam as one of Texas’ top 10 most wanted fugitives.
Iliana Rodriguez, 34, was arrested in Jalisco on Dec. 11 on three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, three counts of harassment and one count of unlawful restraint, authorities announced Friday.
She had been wanted since January 2015 on charges that “stemmed from an inappropriate relationship she had engaged in with an 11-year-old girl,” the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
“The initial contact allegedly occurred while Rodriguez was working as a counselor for a CAPS (Child, Adolescent and Parent Services) program in Laredo,” officials said.
“She later became employed at the Border Region Behavioral Health Center in Laredo as a CAPS Counselor, which allowed her to visit the victim at school under the pretext of offering guidance and support for the child,” the statement said.
“The arrest was the result of tip information received through Crime Stoppers, so a reward will be paid,” it added.
DPS promised a cash reward of $5,000 for information leading to Rodriguez’s location and arrest.
The Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitive was arrested by members of the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol.
The US Marshal’s Service, its attache in Mexico and Laredo special agents developed a plan to collar the suspect with the assistance of the international police agency, officials said.
The Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office said Rodriguez also was wanted by US authorities for allegedly holding a 12-year-old captive between 2014 and 2015 in Webb County, according to UPI.
