Bellingham Police arrest man suspected of giving drugs to and raping a child known to him
Bellingham Police arrested a Bellingham man suspected of giving drugs to and raping a child known to him after a month-long investigation.
Sergio Mariscal Jr., 35, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 20, on two counts of second-degree rape of a child and distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy in an email to The Bellingham Herald Monday, Oct. 24.
Mariscal Jr. remains at Whatcom County Jail with bail set at $100,000.
Police were contacted Sept. 29 and told the man had provided marijuana edibles and allowed the child to smoke from a cannabis “dab” pen before raping her earlier in the year, according to the probable cause statement. Text messages and hotel records allowed police to develop probable cause for Mariscal Jr.’s arrest, according to court documents.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
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