FOND DU LAC — Juan Carlos Rocha Mejia, a man charged after allegedly sexual assaulting his girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter,returned to court in Fond du Lac County for a preliminary hearing.
- The hearing was rescheduled again since Rocha Mejia has yet to obtain an attorney.
- A status hearing is scheduled for next month.
- Rocha Mejia is accused of trapping and sexually assaulting his girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter.
Prosecutors said Juan Carlos Rocha Mejia tried to sexually assault his girlfriend's 12-year-old daughter.
Investigators said Rocha Mejia attempted to blindfold, tie up, and suffocate the girl with a shirt so he could assault her.
The criminal complaint said the girl was able to escape to a nearby home where a neighbor answered the door and called police.
The girl's mother is also charged in connection to the assault, and her case was bound over for trial last month.
But in court Thursday, Rocha Mejia still didn't have an attorney, so his preliminary hearing was rescheduled again.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said he cannot comment on this case specifically but spoke generally about codefendant cases. Toney said when codefendants' cases are moving on different timelines, it can create challenges when it comes to holding a potential joint trial or presenting evidence in both cases.
"That can just present some hurdles in cases depending on if cooperation is looked at if you're looking at joiner for trial if you are able to present evidence against both in one trial," Toney said.
The 12-year-old and her siblings were previously placed into foster care, and Toney said the state doesn't have any specific safety concerns for them at this time.
Rocha Mejia is scheduled for a status conference next month.
