The congregation of a Roman Catholic church in Farmer's Branch is reeling from the revelation that a sexual predator assaulted two or their youngest members - eight years apart.
According to police a five-year old girl at Mary Immaculate Church became a victim during Sunday mass on August 3.
After an official investigation, Carlos Mendoza was arrested. The 57-year-old is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Church pastor Rev. Michael Forge says Mendoza sexually assaulted the girl in the bathroom... while communion was taking place in the sanctuary.
"It's a contrast between good and evil – it simply is," Father Forge explained. "When you think about what he did and how he did it, it's very much a dark image, a satanic image."
Church officials say Mendoza was not a member of the church, but some members recall having seen him at the church before.
Delia Davila saved the sex offender notification she received about Mendoza a few months ago. The woman, who lives two houses away from the address listed for Mendoza, says she has known his family for years.
According to Davila, Mendoza stays at a house with his brother. "I don't ever see his car," she explained. "I only see him when he's out there doing the yard."
After the alleged assault at Mary Immaculate Church, a Farmer's Branch investigator remembered a similar case at the same church from eight years ago. He contacted that victim, who is now 16-years-old, and she identified Mendoza as her attacker.
Mendoza became a registered sex offender after Garland police arrested him in 2003 for grabbing a little girl in the bathroom of a Mervyn's store. That little girl got away and workers at the store got the license plate of the suspect – it traced back to Mendoza. In that case Mendoza was charged with detaining a person under the age of 17 and was given probation.
Mendoza, who is in jail on $100,000 bond, faces two counts aggravated sexual assault.
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