A student at Menlo College, Andres Manuel Aguilar, 19, faces potential additional victims as prosecutors investigate new allegations, a development that led to the postponement of a court hearing this week. The hearing is now scheduled for August 27.
Aguilar has been charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in his campus dorm room. According to the district attorney's office, the initial encounter occurred on May 5 when Aguilar gave the victim his phone number at a Menlo Park transit stop and persuaded her to meet him. Prosecutors stated that Aguilar admitted to knowing the victim was underage, despite her allegedly claiming to be 17.
The student is accused of taking the girl to a store where he purchased alcohol before they returned to his dorm room. There, the victim allegedly consumed alcohol and vaped cannabis before the assault. Surveillance footage from the dorm reportedly captured the pair entering Aguilar's room and the victim leaving at a later time.
Authorities allege that Aguilar stripped off the victim's pants while she protested. Following the incident, Aguilar reportedly used DoorDash to order emergency contraception to the room, fearing a potential pregnancy.
Aguilar, a resident of San Jose, is currently held without bail. He faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated sexual assault of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a minor involving oral copulation, as well as providing marijuana to a minor under 14. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe emphasized the seriousness of offenses involving children 13 and under, noting higher penalties and the legal inability for such young children to consent.
Menlo College, a private business institution with an undergraduate student body of approximately 810 to 880 students, issued a statement asserting that it takes all allegations of criminal conduct and misconduct within its community with the utmost seriousness.