Pedro Araujo Mendoza, 56, was arrested Sunday, September 13, after Horizon City police investigated allegations that he made sexually explicit remarks to a woman at a local business and touched her without her consent. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on an indecent assault charge and held on a $3,000 bond.
The incident was reported at about 2:08 p.m. in the 16000 block of Ashford Street, according to KTSM 9 News. Police said the reported contact occurred while the woman was working at the business.
What Police Say Happened
Police said the woman told investigators that Mendoza touched her breast without her consent. She also reported that he had touched her buttocks without her consent during an earlier incident.
The woman requested that charges be filed, and police submitted the case for prosecution. Authorities accepted the case as an indecent assault charge, according to police.
What official crime data shows
Statewide data provide context for the charge but do not establish how often similar allegations are reported in Horizon City or El Paso County. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety's 2025 Crime in Texas report, agencies recorded 1,074 offenses under Penal Code Section 22.012(b)(1), indecent assault, and 21 under Section 22.012(b)(2). DPS cautions that its sexual-assault totals cover nine Texas Penal Code offenses collected in addition to NIBRS data, so they will not match NIBRS sex-offense totals. The statewide figures therefore offer broad statutory context for this case rather than a directly comparable local count.
Booking and Trespass Warning
Mendoza was booked on the indecent assault charge with bond set at $3,000. Police also issued an indefinite criminal trespass warning prohibiting him from returning to the Horizon City business.
The Horizon City Police Department encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses unwanted sexual contact to report it to law enforcement.
