A Chelsea man has been charged with several serious offenses, including aggravated rape, after allegedly assaulting a woman and threatening to turn her in to immigration authorities if she reported the incident.
Alfredo Romero-Cortez, 48, was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on Monday facing charges that include aggravated rape, assault and battery on a household member, assault with a dangerous weapon, and witness intimidation, as reported by MassLive. The victim, a 35-year-old woman, informed Chelsea Police of the attack after going to Brigham and Women's Hospital seeking treatment for her injuries, she had initially agreed to consensual sex with Romero-Cortez but demanded the use of a condom, which the suspect reacted to with violence, including slapping her thrice and brandishing a pocketknife.
According to statements made to police, which were later relayed by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, Romero-Cortez then raped the woman while threatening her with the weapon. Following the attack, he reportedly coerced her into silence by threatening to inform ICE about her, leveraging her fear of being separated from her young daughter to keep her quiet, as MassLive detailed.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden emphasized the distressing nature of this case, highlighting "the physical harm the victim suffered in the assault along with her reluctance to report because of the threats about ICE and her fear of separation from her child," as mentioned in a statement obtained by NBC Boston. Romero-Cortez is currently being held without bail and is awaiting a dangerousness hearing set for July 14.
Resources were provided by both publications for those in need, with contact information available for the National Sexual Violence Resources Center, the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, and SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline offering multi-lingual support, the Network/LaRed provides help for members of the LGBTQ+ community facing domestic violence, and the district attorney's office is urging any victim of crime, including domestic or sexual violence, to call 911 in an emergency or reach out to victim support hotlines for guidance and assistance.
