ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A 36-year-old Fort Pierce man is in custody following a rapid investigation by the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office into a pattern of inappropriate behavior with a 14-year-old girl.

Juan Alberto Guandique Sanchez was arrested and charged with three counts of sexual battery on a victim between 12 and 18 years old. Sanchez also faces a violation of probation warrant from Martin County and is being held on a federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer.

The case began on July 6, 2026, when SLCSO patrol deputies responded to reports of alleged sexual activity between Sanchez and the 14-year-old girl. Criminal Investigations Division detectives immediately took over the case.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro Jr. says the victim and the suspect met in the neighborhood where she lived.

“This individual obviously took advantage of that situation, preying on a 14-year-old victim. So, they did have a consensual type of encounter, and then it led to multiple messages and different things like that. They then coincided with the crime happening,” said Del Toro Jr.

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According to Del Toro Jr., the victim’s mother intervened swiftly after discovering the relationship between her daughter and Sanchez, leading the family to notify authorities.

“We responded to a residence. It was actually the suspect’s residence, and the mother of the juvenile victim was there, and there was a disturbance going on, obviously, because she had discovered what had been going on with her daughter,” Del Toro Jr. said.

The Sheriff’s Office says they met the suspect once before on similar allegations in the same neighborhood sometime in April, but he was not arrested at the time.

“The suspect is friends with this other female’s father. The allegation was he asked for her phone number. He asked her for a kiss. She told her parents, then we got involved. There wasn’t enough evidence to establish anything at that point, as far as a crime goes,” said Del Toro Jr.

Through victim and witness interviews, residential search warrants, and forensic analysis of digital devices, detectives established probable cause for Sanchez’s arrest.

Because predators often target multiple victims, the SLCSO is asking anyone who has had contact with Sanchez to come forward. Sheriff Del Toro urged parents to remain vigilant, monitor their children’s cell phone and gaming activity, and maintain open communication about who they interact with in the neighborhood.

I don’t want to paint a picture like your kids can’t go out and play and different things like that. However, as a parent, just taking those extra steps, like having a debrief with your child once they come home: Who did you talk to? Who do you run into? Make sure you’re monitoring their cell phone activity, online activity, things like that. I think it goes a long way.”