Des Plaines man charged with sexually assaulting teenage girl

A 20-year-old Des Plaines man was ordered held on $50,000 bail Thursday on charges he sexually assaulted a teenage girl last month at a Mount Prospect apartment.

Benjamin Banuelos is charged with criminal sexual assault, a class 1 felony punishable by up to 12 years in prison. He next appears in court on Oct. 9.

According to prosecutors, Banuelos, an unidentified co-offender and the teen, along with several other people, were hanging out at the co-offender's apartment on Aug. 22.

There was beer and vodka at the apartment when the girl arrived with another person, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney C.J. Orrantia. At one point, the co-offender took the girl to a bedroom where he sexually assaulted her, ignoring her requests to stop, Orrantia said.

A witness who was at the apartment "was too drunk to help her," Orrantia said. That person and the co-offender left the apartment. Banuelos subsequently sexually assaulted the girl then told her "to get dressed and get out," Orrantia said.

After Banuelos, the co-offender and the other person fell asleep, the girl called her mother, he said. The teen subsequently reported the assault to Des Plaines police.

Banuelos was arrested Wednesday.

"The co-offender, to my knowledge, has not been found yet," Orrantia said.