An 18-year-old man who authorities allege had a sexual relationship with Kayleah Wilson has been charged with sexual assault on a child, Greeley police said this afternoon.
However, Greeley police said that the arrest of Robert Laurencio Montoya is “separate and distinct” from the Kayleah Wilson homicide case currently being investigated.
Sgt. Joe Tymkowych said that the arrest of Montoya culminated an investigation in which probable cause was developed to believe Montoya was involved in a sexual relationship with Wilson, who was 12.
Her body was discovered in an irrigation ditch on Wednesday morning, about a half mile from her home.
The Weld County District Attorney’s office said that Montoya has been charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child.
One is sexual assault on a child, a class four felony. The second count is sexual assault on a child, pattern of abuse, a class three felony.
Montoya was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in Weld County District Court this morning, said Jennifer Finch, spokeswoman for District Attorney Ken Buck. Montoya’s bond was set at $100,000, which he has not made.
Wilson’s body was discovered in an irrigation ditch by a ditch rider at about 6 a.m. Wednesday in a pool about 10-feet wide and 3-feet deep, just below an irrigation gate.
The area where the body was found had been searched extensively at least twice by people looking for the 12-year-old.
Greeley Police Chief Jerry Garner said that heavy rains both Tuesday night and several days ago may have “moved the body from a culvert or hiding place” to a position in the ditch where it could be seen.
About 10 a.m., Wednesday the body was removed from the ditch and taken to McKee Medical Center for identification.
On Thursday, Garner announced that the body was that of Kayleah Wilson.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do now,” said Garner when he announced the identification and said Kayleah had been murdered.
“We’ll be talking to lots of people,” he said.
The coroner determined that Kayleah’s death was a homicide – but Garner would not say exactly how she died.
He also would not say how long she might have been in the ditch, which is half a mile from her home but not on the route to her friend’s house, where she was going to attend a birthday party.
Kayleah was last seen March 28, shortly after leaving her family’s apartment in the 2800 block of 28th Street.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
