An Anaheim man could face life in prison after he was charged with several felonies related to the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in December, according to prosecutors.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that a registered sex offender, identified as 34-year-old Brian Estuardo Verbena-Martinez, was arrested last week in Guatemala after a monthslong investigation.

Prosecutors allege that on Dec. 5, Verbena-Martinez was driving in the city of Westminster when he pulled up next to the teenager and asked if she needed a ride. Verbena-Martinez became increasingly aggressive with the girl until she entered his vehicle.

For the next several hours, Verbena-Martinez sexually assaulted her in multiple locations, including parking lots and his apartment, where other children were present, prosecutors said. He eventually dropped her off at her friend’s home in Garden Grove.

Verbena-Martinez was identified as the suspect by the Westminster Police Department. 

The department and the FBI later located Verbena-Martinez, who prosecutors referred to as a fugitive, in Guatemala, where he was arrested last week.

The DA’s Office has now charged him with several felony counts, including kidnapping to commit a sex offense, forcible rape, sexual penetration of a child under 14 years of age by force, forcible oral copulation with a minor under the age of 14 and three counts of lewd act upon a child under 14.

If convicted on all charges, Verbena-Martinez could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“The pursuit of justice knows no borders, and we will continue to go to the very ends of the earth to carry out our mission to secure accountability and safeguard public safety,” said OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The men and women of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, along with our dedicated local and federal partners, work day in and day out to ensure that individuals who commit crimes in Orange County, like this child predator, know that it is a matter of when and not if that they will be captured and brought to justice.”  

Prosecutors said Verbena-Martinez was convicted in Los Angeles County in 2019 of arranging to meet a minor with the intent to engage in sexual contact, and has been a registered sex offender since.