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Charges: St. Paul man released from custody for burglary, broke into another home, raped a 14-year-old girl

According to Miguel Huerta's criminal history, police had him in custody at least twice in the last two months. He was released with conditions both times.

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ST. PAUL -- A St. Paul man out of custody following burglary and theft charges, broke into another home on Valentine's Day and violently raped a 14-year-old girl, according to criminal charges.

Miguel Huerta, 47, was charged Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree burglary.

According to Huerta's criminal history, police had him in custody at least twice in the last two months. He was released with conditions both times.

On Monday, St. Paul police responded to a home in the in the city's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood after a report of a sexual assault involving a man unknown to the residents.

Family members in the house told police they caught the man, later identified as Huerta, in the girl's bed, according to the charges. When they rushed to intervene, he ran from the house, leaving behind his shoes and coat and something they believed was a stun gun, according to the charges.

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Officers tracked Huerta's barefoot prints in the fresh snow from the house, through alleyways and residential yards, ending in the backyard of a residence about five blocks away. A police dog found Huerta hiding beneath a pine tree in the yard.

The girl told police that she had been asleep in her bed when she saw a man, later identified as Huerta, walk toward her. She said she had never seen the man before and thought it was one of her uncle's friends, according to the charges.

Huerta then grabbed the girl by her legs and began to assault her, penetrating her multiple times as she pleaded with him to stop, according to the charges.

Other family members were awakened and came to see what was happening. Huerta tried to hide under the blankets, according to the charges, but the girl's mother saw him, yelled out and hit him. The girl's uncle pulled the man off his niece and punched him. The man ran from the home with the uncle chasing him.

The girl was taken to the hospital and police tracked Huerta, found him and arrested him.

Huerta admitted to police that he entered the house and assaulted the girl. He claimed not to know she was a young girl, because the lights were off, according to the charges. He said he broke into a house before and considered having sex with the woman in that house as well, but did not, according to the charges.

Huerta may have been referring to a 2019 case in which he was charged with first-degree burglary and theft.

In that case, on Aug. 1, 2019, about 10:30 p.m., Ramsey County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a Shoreview home. The woman at the residence told police that an unknown man had walked into her bedroom and left. She reported that several items had been stolen from her home.

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Two hours later, police were called to another residence a mile south of the first burglary. The man at that house said someone had broken in and stolen his wallet, keys and car.

Police found the car shortly after, and Huerta was in it, according to those charges. He was arrested.

He was released on the condition that he attend his court hearings and check in regularly with his case manager and abstain from alcohol and drugs.

On Jan. 29 he was ruled incompetent to stand trial due to "cognitive impairment" and ordered to be evaluated.

On Nov. 2, he failed to appear at a hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Dec. 8, he failed to appear at another court date and was arrested. He was released with conditions until an April 6 hearing. It was during this time, authorities say, he broke into the Dayton's Bluff house and raped the 14-year-old girl.

Huerta also has an open case for receiving stolen property, which is related to an auto theft on Feb. 1.

According to those charges, Huerta tried to get gas from the Maplewood police department's gas pump. He said he thought he was at a gas station. Police ran the plates and found that the vehicle was stolen. Huerta was arrested and subsequently released with conditions.

He is currently being held in the Ramsey County jail without bond, having had a first court appearance Wednesday.

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