A man accused of assaulting an Ottawa woman on the Prairie Spirit Train in Anderson County will be in court today to be arraigned on charges. Porfirio Dela Cruz Cantu is facing charges of battery, criminal restraint and abuse of the elderly after he was arrested for assaulting and a woman on a bicycle, knocking her to the ground, attempting to rape her and stuffing leaves in her mouth to stifle her screams for help.
The woman told officers she escaped by kicking herself away and sliding down the trails embankment where she was able to get to her feet and run to a nearby house for help. The arraignment was delayed in January and February. The case has been problematic due to Cantu’s need for an interpreter for all court proceedings. Cantu is a Mexican national who has been placed on a “hold” list by U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This means that the agency will be notified of any pending release from local jail in order for federal authorities to pick him up.
KOFO will have more on the court proceedings as the information becomes available.
