Texas man charged in Bemidji for alleged sexual assault of 11-year-old

A Texas man is in custody after being charged in connection with the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in Bemidji.

Oscar Ernesto Luna, 22, of Mission, Tex., was charged in Beltrami County with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct on Wednesday.

On Sept. 23, officers from the Bemidji Police Department (BPD) responded to Sanford Bemidji Emergency Department on a report of a sexual assault victim, according to a criminal complaint.

The victim told law enforcement that she had been staying with a relative, who made her get into a vehicle with men in it. The victim said the men put a bag over her head, brought her to a home, pushed her down the stairs, and tied her up. The complaint added that her relative then forced her to drink alcohol.

The victim said a man called “Panda” — later identified as Luna — sexually assaulted her. The victim added that four other men were present at the time and an unidentified number of men also assaulted her.

The victim had cuts on her body and told medical officials that she was currently in pain, according to the complaint.

The victim reported seeing another girl tied up and unconscious in a closet in addition to a 16-year-old girl who was tied up. The victim also said when she was assaulted, there were two girls tied up next to her although the complaint did not specify how many victims were in the residence altogether.

The complaint states that officers matched the victim’s description of the alleged assailant with Luna, who has several unique face tattoos and piercings. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the 1800 block of America Court Northwest and found evidence related to the assault.

A Facebook post from the Bemidji Police Department said 11 people in the home were transported by U.S. Border Patrol to be processed as immigrants lacking permanent legal status.

Luna has two active warrants out for his arrest related to DWI charges. He denied assaulting the victim but admitted to knowing the victim’s relative and talking with them on Facebook Messenger.

This is an ongoing investigation.