by | Published
SAN MARCOS, Texas - A 50 year old man pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child in a Hays County courtroom on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Luis Rangel received a 30 year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as part of a plea agreement reached just moments before opening statements were scheduled to begin. The sentences for the three counts will run concurrently.
The guilty plea follows a 2023 indictment involving the sexual abuse of Rangel’s step-granddaughter. Investigators determined the abuse occurred over a five year period, beginning when the victim was 7 years old and continuing until she was 12. The specific acts Rangel admitted to took place in 2014, 2017, and 2020. The case was initiated following a delayed outcry from the victim in 2022.
The resolution of the case through a plea agreement spared the young victim from testifying about the abuse, which involved Rangel performing oral intercourse while she slept. Despite the plea, the victim was present for the sentencing and addressed Rangel during an allocution statement regarding the ongoing trauma caused by his actions.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Cassidy Story and Daniel Sakaida prosecuted the case, which was investigated by both the Austin and San Marcos Police Departments. Story credited the presence of the jury for facilitating the plea agreement and praised the victim for her bravery throughout the legal process.
