Palmetto man charged with raping a runaway girl

A 38-year-old Palmetto man is being charged with raping a child under the age of 14, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Enrique Morales Barrera raped the girl in his Palmetto home after picking her up on Aug. 21 after she ran away from home.

The victim met Barrera a couple of weeks prior to the assault at a gas station and accepted his phone number, according to the arrest report. When she ran away, she called Barrera who picked her up and took her to a local bar where he bought her alcohol.

Deputies say Barrera eventually took the victim home and held her overnight before returning her to a relative’s house. When the victim returned home, deputies responded to complete the runaway case and it was at that time that the sexual assault was revealed, according to the sheriff’s office.

Barrera was charged with sexually assaulting a child on Aug. 24. He was booked into the Manatee County jail where he remains in custody on a $100,000 bond.