A Marietta man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping a child inside her Cobb County home, police said Monday.
Alex Gilberto Argueta, 40, pleaded guilty to rape, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the May 2015 attack. He also got no parole and life on probation.
Argueta’s trial was scheduled for Monday, but was cancelled when he entered the plea.
Police say Argueta raped the girl, 11, in her closet about 10 p.m. while her mother was in the next room. He grabbed the child by her neck and threatened to physically harm her if she said anything.
The girl’s mother went looking for her daughter after the girl hadn’t returned from playing. She found Argueta with his pants down and her daughter partially clothed.
“This is the kind of case that sends chills down your spine,” Assistant District Attorney Susan Treadaway said.
The girl was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta where she was examined.
Argueta was gone by the time police arrived, but DNA testing determined he was a positive match on biological samples taken from the child.
Police did not say how Argueta, who is form Honduras, got into the home. He could be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE) custody following his prison term.
Argueta will be required to register as a sex offender if he remains in the U.S.
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