Police in Dracut, Massachusetts, have arrested a Lawrence man wanted on child rape charges.
Gabriel Yepez, 43, is accused in a series of assaults on a child he knows, police said Tuesday.
Yepez was arrested in Lawrence on Tuesday night and charged with three counts of aggravated rape of a child and three counts of rape of a child with force. He was ordered held without bail after being arraigned in Lowell District Court Wednesday.
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A family member, whom NBC10 Boston is not identifying, says Yepez is not a stranger to them.
"He's very known to the family," the woman said. "He's been around for a really long time."
She says more should have been done to protect the young girl.
"I felt angry, because it's like, why would you let this man around when you know he's not supposed to?" she said. "I don't understand."
The child's mother is so upset that she was taken to the hospital after learning about the charges, a person close to the family said Wednesday.
Police said the arrest warrant for Yepez came after an extensive investigation.
Yepez is due back in court for a dangerousness hearing Tuesday.
