SPRINGDALE — A man who reported he and his children were robbed after a break-in at their apartment was arrested in connection with staging the crime, according to a police news release.
An accomplice told police the father paid him to fake a robbery, then force the father’s 14-year-old stepdaughter to have sex with him.
Fernando Monter-Verde, 31, of 4571 Greens Drive in Springdale and Joseph Samuel, 24, of Springdale, were arrested Thursday in connection with felony conspiracy to commit rape, misdemeanor false imprisonment and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. Monter-Verde, who police said set up the fake robbery, was also arrested in connection with filing a false police report.
Monter-Verde told police a man forced his way into the apartment and told the family to undress. The robber was holding something by his leg that may have been a gun the family told police. Monter-Verde, his stepdaughter and a 3-year-old child were in the residence. Plastic ties were used to handcuff the stepdaughter, according to the release.
Monter-Verde undressed, but the girl refused. The robber took money and fled, according to the release.
Police found a bag of plastic ties with two missing and condoms in a trash container at the apartment complex. The bag was marked with a store name, according to police records. When officers went to the store, they found surveillance video of the father purchasing the ties, according to the release.
Monter-Verde told police he was having marital issues, and admitted he paid an associate to stage a robbery, according to the release.
Monter-Verde and Samuel were scheduled to be moved to the Washington County Detention Center on Thursday to await a bond hearing.