A man wanted since 2021 for several violent crimes, including the rape of a minor in Plymouth, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said Werlen Luiz, 48, of Brazil, was arrested on Nov. 15 in North Carolina and pleaded not guilty on Friday to two counts of aggravated rape of a child with force and one count each of assault and battery, and strangulation or suffocation.
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Prosecutors say the alleged rapes occurred at various locations in Plymouth County from September 2019 through June 2021. Luiz was thought to have fled the U.S. following the victim's complaint, however, Plymouth police detectives later learned that he was still in the country, in Statesville, North Carolina.
Luiz was previously indicted on five counts of child rape in Plymouth Superior Court and will be arraigned on those charges in the future, the district attorney's office said.
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A dangerousness hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 12, while Luiz remains in custody without bail.
