Pastor in Takoma Park, Maryland, Charged With Rape and Assault of Church Members
By Gwen
Posted Nov 3, 2026 at 12:27 PM
A Montgomery County pastor is accused of sexually assaulting members of his own congregation. Takoma Park police say the pastor raped and assaulted two women inside his church, and detectives believe there could be more victims.
Takoma Park Police arrested Erick Odir Vidal Fuentes, 37, of Hyattsville, on charges of second-degree rape, fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault. These are charges, not convictions, and Fuentes is presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise.
Police said Fuentes is the pastor of Iglesia Pentecostal El Fin Viene Church on New Hampshire Avenue. He is accused of sexually assaulting two female members of the congregation in separate incidents. Police said they began investigating the allegations against Fuentes on June 21.
At a press conference on Friday, detectives urged people to come forward regardless of their immigration status, noting that Takoma Park is a sanctuary city. The appeal reflects a commitment to protecting the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).
Police want to hear from victims or anyone else with information about the case. Anyone with information may call Det. Charles Earle at 240-298-5500. For Spanish-language assistance, callers may contact Claudia Tolson at 240-610-8284.
Source: Read the original report
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
