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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor 

STERRETT – A Sterrett man has been captured and is in the custody of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office after fleeing across the U.S. border and has received 15 charges, including multiple for rape and the sexual abuse of a minor.

Antonio Gonzalez, 35, has been charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12, four counts of sodomy in the first degree, two counts of rape in the first degree, two counts of traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, one count of sexual torture, one count of assault with bodily fluids and attempt to commit a class A felony.

“I’m very proud of the work that our investigators did on this case,” SCSO Chief Deputy Clay Hammac said. “These types of cases are often very difficult to work on. We are trying to make sure that we show empathy for the victim and that we seek justice for the victim. In cases like this, I know that our DA’s (District Attorney’s) Office will work tirelessly to make sure that this offender spends the rest of his life behind bars.”

Authorities first became aware of Gonzalez in 2020 after receiving a third party report of a juvenile who had reportedly been a victim of abuse. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reached out to Owen’s House who then conducted a forensic interview. After which, the victim disclosed information and the sheriff’s office was able to obtain supporting evidence to identify the offender and sign warrants for the arrest.

Once warrants were signed, the sheriff’s office learned that the suspect had fled across the border to Mexico. The SCSO then reached out to the United States Marshals Service to assist in the suspect’s capture due to the charges for the arrest.

“The United States Marshals Service is probably one of the greatest force multipliers of law enforcement that we have,” Hammac said. “They are truly the long arm of the law and they are an invaluable asset to local law enforcement agencies that are dealing with multi-jurisdictional or cross-state-line prosecution.”

The U.S. Marshals Service was able to identify the potential location and whereabouts of the suspect and worked with Mexico’s Federal Police to successfully apprehend the suspect and transport him back across the border. Once on U.S. soil, the U.S. Marshals Service took custody and brought the suspect to Shelby County to await trial.

“This case is a demonstration of partnerships at work,” Hammac said. “This was a collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies, including our federal partners—specifically, the U.S. Marshals Service—and we want to thank them for their help and their dedication to bringing a dangerous felon back to Shelby County to stand trial and face justice.”

Gonzalez was booked into the Shelby County Jail on Aug. 1 and currently faces 15 total charges with a $1,596,000 bond.