Former deputy accused of rape in Doña Ana County

A former Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office deputy is accused of raping a woman earlier this month. 

Joshua Montelongo, 26, is charged with two counts of criminal sexual penetration and one count of false imprisonment. He was arrested Dec. 18 and released from jail on his own recognizance four days later. Montelongo is representing himself in court.

Montelongo joined the sheriff's office in April 2024, according to a social media post from the agency. Ariana Parra, a spokesperson for the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office, said Montelongo has not been employed with the office since April 2025. 

Deputies began investigating the case involving Montelongo after a woman reported being raped by a man she met through the Facebook dating app on Dec. 1, according to a criminal complaint filed in Doña Ana Magistrate Court.

The woman told deputies the two began a relationship, and on Dec. 16, they went out to run errands. While driving, the woman said Montelongo would "push her head down, punch her stomach and pinch her breasts," the complaint states. 

The woman told deputies that the two returned to Montelongo's house in Mesquite, and she pretended to be asleep because she did not want to have sex, according to the complaint. Sometime before that, she texted a friend to say that Montelongo was being "aggressive towards her." 

At some point, Montelongo began touching the woman and she told him multiple times that she did not want to have intercourse, the complaint states. The woman said Montelongo began taking her clothes off and raped her.

She told deputies she was scared that Montelongo would hurt her if she said anything, and she left his home and blocked him on social media before contacting for deputies.

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.