A 60-year-old man originally from Sinaloa was sentenced to four years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in Ciudad Constitución, Baja California Sur. The Unitary Trial Court handed down the sentence on April 17 during a sanctions and damages hearing.
The defendant, identified as Abelardo “N” under Mexican privacy protocols, was found criminally responsible for abuse that occurred between Nov. 11 and 18, 2022, inside a residence in the Colonia 4 de Marzo neighborhood. Ciudad Constitución is an agricultural town located about 215 kilometers north of La Paz along Highway 1.
Nearly Three Years From Crime to Arrest
Authorities did not arrest Abelardo until Sept. 14, 2025, nearly three years after the reported abuse. A control judge placed him in preventive detention five days later after formally linking him to the case.
Prosecutors from the Specialized Unit for Crimes Against Sexual Freedom and the Family, operating under the Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado), built the case through the state’s oral trial system. The oral trial process, adopted across Mexico as part of a sweeping 2008 judicial reform, replaced the older written system with public hearings, cross-examination, and greater transparency.
Fine Imposed Alongside Prison Term
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Abelardo to pay a fine equivalent to 200 UMA (Unidad de Medida y Actualización), the standardized measurement unit Mexico uses to calculate fines and government obligations. At the current 2026 daily UMA value of approximately 113.14 pesos, the fine totals roughly 22,628 pesos (about $1,130 USD).
The case is one of several recent sexual abuse convictions obtained by BCS prosecutors involving crimes that date back years. Under Mexican law, the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors does not begin to run until the victim reaches adulthood, giving authorities a longer window to pursue charges.
This story was first reported by Colectivo Pericú.