Chapa pleads not guilty to sexual assault of minor

A Havre man pleaded not guilty to charges that on Oct. 24 he sexually molested a middle-school aged girl while attending a house party in October, at which he was arrested for violating conditions of his release in a burglary case.

Isaac A. Chapa, born in 1993, pleaded not guilty in state District Court in Havre to two felony charges in the new case. The first count is sexual assault, and the second is sexual intercourse without consent or, in the alternative, attempted sexual intercourse without consent.

He was sentenced Dec. 3 in a plea agreement on charges in the burglary case.

Judge Dan Boucher scheduled an omnibus hearing, which usually includes setting a trial date, for the latest case for Jan. 24. Chapa is out on $30,000 bond awaiting that hearing.

According to the charging document, the girl told the investigating police officer that Chapa was at a party being held by the owner of the house in which she lives. She said he came into her bedroom where she was trying to sleep, laid on top of her on her bed and began kissing her.

The girl said she tried to leave, but Chapa grabbed her and pulled her back, and began feeling and touching her. She said he asked her to have sex with him, but when she told him no, he continued to touch her.

The girl told officers she could not tell them the exact date of the incident, but that it was shortly before Halloween.

Officers were able to set the exact date because Chapa was arrested Oct. 24 at that residence for violations of conditions of release set on his bond in the other case.

In that case, he was charged with two felony counts of burglary for breaking into houses Jan. 23 and Jan. 25 and with a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief and two misdemeanor counts of theft stemming from the break-ins.

Officers arrested Chapa Oct. 24 when they investigated a call that he had been drinking and fighting at party at the girl's residence.

In the plea agreement on the January charges, Chapa pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and one count of theft. The other charges were dismissed.

Judge Boucher sentenced Chapa, imposing a three-year deferred imposition of sentence on the felony and a six-month sentence, with all but 41 days suspended and credit for 41 days served, on the misdemeanor.