CLEVELAND (OH)
WOIO - CBS 19 [Cleveland OH]
February 27, 2024
By Julia Bingel and Sia Nyorkor
Investigators say 77-year-old Luis Barajas used oil, blankets and clothing to hide his actions while praying for the victim
A 77-year-old former priest who pleaded guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition for “inappropriately touching” a 15-year-old Westlake girl sick with cancer while giving her a blessing, was sentenced to 15 months in prison by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Santoli Tuesday.
Westlake police arrested Luis Barajas on Oct. 23. 2023 and he pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2024.
According to police, the Colombian national had been staying with local families in Lorain County for several months.
On Oct. 10, 2023, he was driven to Westlake to pray with the teenager and her family.
Witnesses told police Barajas used blankets and clothing to to hide his actions and his movements during the blessing were “unconventional.” Another Catholic priest learned of the incident and reported it to police on Oct. 20, 2023.
Barajas was accused of sexual misconduct involving juveniles in the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA around 1989 and sent back to Colombia, said Westlake police.
Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.