Justice Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teen At Family Party

JUSTICE, IL -- A Justice man is accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party. Marco Hernandez, 53, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on felony charges of criminal sex assault and criminal sex abuse. Hernandez is being held without bail.

According to the charges, relatives had gathered at Hernandez’s home for a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31, 2017, including the teen. The guests started drinking around 10 p.m. Around 2 a.m. everyone went to bed. The girl was sleeping on the floor with other guests when she woke up to a “bearded man” assaulting her, the prosecutor said. Hernandez was the only male guest at the party who had a beard at the time.

The girl went to bathroom at 5 a.m. and tried calling a friend but canceled the call. A few hours later, she called her friend and told her how Hernandez touched her, the prosecutor said. The girl heard hung up when she heard Hernandez talking outside the bathroom, and finished the conversation with her friend through text messages. When it was time for the guests to leave later in the afternoon, the prosecutor said Hernandez whispered in the girl’s ear, “I love you. See you soon.”

Later when the girl got home, she told her mother what happened, the prosecutor said. The girl’s mother took her to the hospital, where the girl was given a sex assault exam. According to the prosecutor, the girl had not changed her clothes or showered after the party. Medical staff were able to collect DNA samples, which matched mouth swabs taken from Hernandez, the prosecutor said. Hernandez was arrested May 7.

The prosecutor asked the judge for special conditions of bond, including no contact with minors under the age of 18.

“No kidding,” Kane said.

Hernandez’s attorney said his client wasn’t a flight risk and that his wife and children were in the courtroom to support him.

“It seems outstanding to me that the entire family was sleeping in the same room while all these allegations were taking place,” the attorney said. “This is a very tight knit family.”

Hernandez was flagged for violence on a pre-trial safety assessment. The judge ordered Hernandez to be held without bail until a trial judge could determine how tight were Hernandez’s ties to the community.

“Even if I did set a bond, he wouldn’t make it,” Kane said.

Hernandez’s next court date is June 4 in Bridgeview.