An undocumented man was sentenced on Monday, April 28, for raping a “completely unconscious” woman at a Mississippi restaurant in early 2025, officials announced Monday.
The Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Office identified the man as Jose “Rigo” Rigoberto Mejia-Cubias, 37, of El Salvador.
The District Attorney’s Office said Mejia-Cubias pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery. Rankin County Circuit Court Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced Mejia-Cubias to 25 years in prison without the possibility of early release or parole. The sentence comes three months after the crime was committed.
According to Madison Police Department Lt. Micah Taylor, authorities received a call at approximately 1:20 a.m. Jan. 30, regarding a female who had been sexually assaulted at Fernando’s Restuarant on Colony Crossing Way in Madison.
The District Attorney’s Office provided more details stating the victim had called police. According to the office, the caller said she went to the restaurant the night before and sat at the bar. The office said the woman indicated her assailant was the bartender.
“She did not remember everything that happened but woke up on the floor of the bar area around midnight, left the premises and called police,” the District Attorney’s Office said.
The District Attorney’s Office said the owners of Fernando’s assisted law enforcement by providing the restaurant’s surveillance footage. The footage reportedly showed the victim sitting in the bar area after closing, speaking with the bartender. Prosecutors said the victim then passed out, and the bartender moved her from a barstool to the floor.
“He proceeded to have sexual intercourse with the victim while she was completely unconscious and appeared lifeless for over an hour and a half,” the District Attorney’s Office said.
Background on the case: ICE holds several suspected undocumented workers after sexual assault at Miss. restaurant
A jury indicted Mejia-Cubias, four days later on Feb. 3 for sexual battery of a physically helpless person. Mejia-Cubias is also facing pending charges for illegal entry into the United States. He was previously deported in 2010.
“Our office wants to commend the Madison Police Department for their immediate response to this situation and securing the surveillance video which captured this victim’s entire ordeal,” Madison-Rankin District Attorney Bubba Bramlett wrote in a statement. “I hope this swift justice brings closure to the victim and serves as a warning to anyone thinking of committing a similarly heinous offense.”
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Undocumented man pleaded guilty to rape at Madison MS restaurant