By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A Wayne County man has entered a plea to charges of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Genoa Township.

25-year-old Luis Santana of Lincoln Park was indicted in August of 2019 on more than half a-dozen counts, including third and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and child sexually abusive activity. But authorities say he remained at large while traveling between Puerto Rico and Miami, Florida. He was finally arrested last December when he returned to Michigan for a visit. Last week, he entered a guilty plea to the charges in exchange for prosecutors recommending a one-year jail cap and five years of probation.

According to testimony provided by Livingston County Sheriff’s Detective Curt Novara, Santana approached a teen girl at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi in April of 2019 where he worked as a perfume salesman. He reportedly handed her a perfume sample with his phone number on it. He and the girl then began texting each other at which point he sent several sexually explicit photos. Later that month, Detective Novara said Santana picked the girl up from her home and drove to the Lowe's Home Improvement store in Genoa Township, where the pair allegedly had sex several times. He also offered her $2,000 to make a pornographic movie.

The girl reportedly informed Santana that she was younger than 16, at which point he replied, "I guess I'll be going to jail." And that’s exactly where he remains, lodged at the Livingston County Jail on a $200,000 cash/surety bond. Sentencing dates are pending.