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HOUSTON - A Houston man accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl was issued a $1 bond by a Harris County judge on Wednesday.
Luis Sanchez, 25, is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl.
According to court documents, in April 2022, the teenage girl and her siblings went over to Sanchez’s north Houston home to play games. While there, records say Sanchez gave the teen a drink of Smirnoff. He then apparently told her siblings to go home but said the teenage girl could spend the night.
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The 16-year-old girl later told authorities she passed out after drinking the Smirnoff and woke up naked in the bed next to Sanchez.
Records reveal that the girl found out she was pregnant three months later. A DNA test confirms Sanchez is the father.
Sanchez was arrested in May 2023, more than a year after the alleged rape. He's now been charged with felony sex assault of a child.
Luis Sanchez
Legal analysts say the low bond is because Sanchez was not indicted within a 90-day window of his arrest, as required by law.
"At that point, a lawyer can go to the district court, judge, cite that statute and say, your honor, at this point, we would like to ask the court to follow the law and to now appoint bail that's either a PR bond or a bond that somebody can make," explained Todd DuPont, a legal analyst.
"If the State misses that deadline, then unfortunately for the state at that particular point, the court has to address what is a reasonable bond for this case," DuPont continued.
So, what qualifies as a ‘reasonable bond?’ According to DuPont, it’s the most amount of money a defendant swears they can afford.
"If a dollar is all this person has and swears to it, the person has to fill out a financial affidavit, swearing to their financial status," DuPont said.
In a statement, the Harris County District’s Attorney Office said,
"Mr. Sanchez remains charged with felony sexual assault of a child and, if he is released on bond, he will remain under house arrest with an ankle monitor and an exclusionary zone regarding the victim and other children. // The District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate this case as well as potential cases involving this victim and others in at least two counties."
As of late Thursday afternoon, court records show that Sanchez remains in jail.
His next court date is set for November.