Bernalillo/Sandoval County, NM – On February 15, 2026, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau arrested a 34-year-old man following an investigation into the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.

Through investigative efforts, NMSP agents learned the 13-year-old was reported missing by her family in Sandoval County on the evening of February 14, 2026. In the early hours of February 15th, Albuquerque Police responded to a call from a gas station, where the juvenile reported she had been kidnapped. The victim told officers that she convinced the suspect to let her use the restroom, which gave her the opportunity to escape and seek help. She identified the suspect's vehicle when police arrived, prompting officers to initiate a pursuit and apprehend the suspect.

Agents learned that on February 14, the victim was longboarding near her home in Rio Rancho when the suspect approached her, claiming to be an Uber driver sent by her father. The victim reported that the suspect threatened to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle.

The victim stated that the suspect drove her to several unknown locations before taking her to a secluded area. There, he instructed her to smoke marijuana, ordered her into the back seat, and sexually assaulted her. The suspect later took the victim to another location, where he restrained and assaulted her a second time.

The suspect, identified as Ruben Dario Gonzalez, told agents he is currently employed as a DoorDash driver, and claimed that while delivering orders, he noticed the victim who appeared upset and offered her a ride home after completing his deliveries. He alleges the victim voluntarily entered the vehicle, that they communicated using Google Translate, and that the sexual encounter was consensual. He also stated he believed the victim was 21 years old and admitted to smoking marijuana during the encounter.

Gonzalez was arrested and booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center and is charged with the following:

• Kidnapping (in the First Degree)

• Criminal Sexual Penetration in the Second Degree (Child 13-18 Years Old)

• Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor