A Virginia judge sentenced a contractor to 30 years in prison Tuesday for raping an 11-year-old girl whose family hired him to renovate their bathroom, according to a local report.
Ricardo Mejia, a citizen of El Salvador who was in the United States illegally, allegedly raped the child three times after gaining access to the Virginia Beach home where he was working. The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office confirmed Wednesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a detainer for Mejia, WTKR reported.
The crimes came to light Oct. 9 when the victim’s parents heard noises from their daughter’s bedroom around 2:30 a.m, according to the outlet. They found the door locked and used a butter knife to force it open. Inside, they saw a naked man climbing out the window, WTKR reported, citing court records. (RELATED: Sanctuary City Under House Investigation Ignored Detainer On Illegal Migrant Charged With Rape, ICE Says)
Ricardo Mejia, a citizen of El Salvador, will serve his 30-year sentence for the rape of an 11-year-old girl here in the Virginia Department of Corrections, after which he will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. https://t.co/CmLSzyhYd4 pic.twitter.com/5gDp8TVSka
— WTKR News 3 (@WTKR3) October 9, 2025
Mejia later admitted to authorities that he climbed through the child’s bedroom window on three occasions, according to the outlet. The first alleged assault occurred when the parents were not home, several days before he was caught. The second and third alleged attacks happened at night in the child’s bedroom.
A Virginia Beach jury convicted Mejia on three counts of rape of a child under 13 and one count of breaking and entering.
“I know I am not the only one experiencing hard times,” Mejia said during sentencing, according to the outlet. “I’m sorry for the pain she is going through in this process.”
The Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office (VBSO) ran a routine query on Mejia because he was born outside the United States, which triggered the ICE detainer. After serving his 30-year sentence in Virginia, authorities will transfer Mejia to ICE custody.