Man raped ex-girlfriend, threatened to hurt her, kids if she told anyone, police say

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – A man accused of raping his ex-girlfriend and threatening to hurt her if she told anyone was arrested Sunday after he admitted to the crime, police said.

Andres Gomez-Avellaneda, 35, faces one count of sexual battery by threatening to retaliate.

According to a Boynton Beach police report, a woman told police that she was raped by her ex-boyfriend. She told police that she had dated Gomez-Avellaneda for about four months but broke up with him a month ago "because of his abusive nature and drinking problem."

The woman told police that she picked up Gomez-Avellaneda on Sunday to have breakfast with him and then went to Walgreens to pick up medicine for her sick son. After she drove Gomez-Avellaneda back, he pulled her pants down against her will, got on top of her in the driver's seat and raped her, ignoring her pleas to stop, she told police.

She said Gomez-Avellaneda told her he had two men watching her house and they would hurt her if she told anyone. She also said he threatened to hurt her and her son, who has Down syndrome.

Police said the woman was afraid of Gomez-Avellaneda, who was in the country illegally and had been deported to Mexico before but returned.

Gomez-Avellaneda left several threatening messages on his ex-girlfriend's cellphone, police said. While she was being interviewed by detectives, Gomez-Avellaneda repeatedly called her phone, so detectives had her call him back. The report said detectives were recording the conversation as Gomez-Avellaneda threatened her and her children with violence if she told police.

After Gomez-Avellaneda was taken into custody, he initially denied having sex with the woman, but he later changed his story and admitted to the crime, police said.