A West Texas mother says her teenage daughter was sexually assaulted while severely intoxicated, despite having previously told her boyfriend that she was a virgin and wanted to wait before having sex. Months later, a grand jury has declined to indict the teenage boy accused in the case.
The alleged assault occurred after two teenagers from Fort Davis attended a party at a ranch in the Alpine area where underage drinking reportedly occurred.
According to the girl’s mother, her daughter had consumed enough alcohol that she could barely stand.
The girl and her boyfriend, who had been dating for approximately two weeks, left the party to get water. The mother said her daughter was embarrassed by her intoxication and wanted to sober up before returning.
The teenagers drove to a separate location in Alpine, where the alleged assault occurred.
The mother said her daughter had vomited approximately five times and was severely impaired by alcohol.
She said the girl had previously told her boyfriend that she was a virgin, wanted to take their relationship slowly and did not want to have sex immediately.
The girl had also expressed that she wanted both of them to be sober if they eventually became sexually active, according to her mother.
The mother said the teenagers had never previously had sexual intercourse.
“My daughter has been hurt,” the mother said, describing the accused as having taken away something her daughter could never get back: her virginity.
The family’s account has not been independently established, and the accused teenager has not been convicted of any offense.
Allegation reported to sheriff’s office
According to the family, the girl disclosed the alleged assault to several friends after returning to the party.
She later went to an older sister’s apartment, where she spent the remainder of the night.
The following morning, a family member contacted the girl’s father, who reported the allegation to the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office.
The family says the report was made Sunday morning, March 29, 2026, within hours of the alleged assault.
Both teenagers and their families lived in the Fort Davis area, although the alleged assault occurred in Alpine, in neighboring Brewster County.
The case subsequently involved multiple law enforcement agencies.
Alpine police confirm investigation
In a Sept. 22 email to the Big Bend Reporter, Alpine’s police chief confirmed that the department investigated the allegation in cooperation with a Texas Ranger.
“The criminal investigation was a joint effort,” the chief wrote.
The chief said investigative interviews and related activity were documented on an officer’s body-worn camera.
“A copy of the case report has been sent to the 83rd District Attorney’s Office,” the chief wrote.
The department said it could provide only limited additional information because juveniles were involved.
The 83rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office serves Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos and Presidio counties.
Children’s Advocacy Center involved
The Children’s Advocacy Center of the Big Bend also became involved in the case and conducted an interview with the girl, according to her family.
The mother expressed concern about a question asked during the interview concerning whether her daughter had verbally refused sexual activity.
She questioned whether that adequately accounted for her daughter’s reported intoxication and ability to consent.
The mother also said she repeatedly contacted the organization in the following months seeking counseling assistance for her daughter but did not receive returned calls from its executive director.
Those concerns have not been independently verified, and the organization’s account was not available for inclusion in this report.
Under Texas law, a person may commit sexual assault when the person knows another individual is intoxicated or impaired to the extent that the individual is incapable of consenting.
A verbal refusal is not necessarily required for conduct to constitute sexual assault.
Texas also provides a close-in-age defense in certain cases involving consensual sexual activity between teenagers. That provision does not automatically excuse conduct involving a lack of legally valid consent.
Whether the available evidence established the elements of a criminal offense was ultimately a question for investigators, prosecutors and the grand jury.
Family questions handling of investigation
The girl’s relatives have expressed concerns about communication among law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, the collection of evidence and the assistance available to the family.
They also questioned whether investigators adequately documented the girl’s reported level of intoxication and obtained statements from people who observed her condition before and after the alleged assault.
The family raised additional questions about a possible encounter between the teenagers and a law enforcement officer before they arrived at the location where the alleged assault occurred.
That encounter has not been independently confirmed.
Relatives also expressed concerns about possible preferential treatment because of the accused teenager’s family connections in the Fort Davis community.
The Big Bend Reporter has not independently established that any personal or professional relationship influenced the investigation or prosecutorial decisions.
Grand jury declines indictment
The girl’s mother said the case was presented to a grand jury during the week of Oct. 19 and resulted in a no-bill decision.
A no-bill means the grand jury declined to return an indictment.
Grand jury proceedings in Texas are generally confidential, and the evidence presented and reasons for the decision have not been made public.
A grand jury’s refusal to indict does not constitute an acquittal or establish that an alleged assault did not occur.
The family says it remains frustrated by the outcome and wants to know whether prosecutors presented all relevant evidence, including witness accounts, investigative recordings and information about the girl’s reported intoxication.
The Big Bend Reporter has reviewed correspondence from the family and a written response from the Alpine Police Department confirming the investigation and its referral to prosecutors.
The publication has not independently reviewed the complete investigative file, the Children’s Advocacy Center interview or grand jury materials.
No indictment has been returned, and the allegations have not been established in court.
The family continues seeking answers about the investigation and what options may remain.
