A "curandero," or healer, has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a client of his Haltom City business, according to police.
Mario Alexander Gil, 42, of Grand Prairie, has been charged with sexual assault in the alleged incident, which was reported to have taken place inside his business, Centro Profesional, on the 4200 block of Northeast 28th Street in Haltom City, police said.
The victim suffered from migraine headaches, according to police, and had been referred to Gil, a "spiritual healer," for help, according to a news release.
Gil requested the victim call him "master," police said, and charged the woman $500 per session.
On her fourth session with Gil, he sexually assaulted the woman, police said.
"Our concern is that there may be more victims," said Cpl. Joe Hackfeld, of the Haltom City Police Department. "We've had the one report, but we don't know if there's more people out there, especially [who] may be juvenile victims."
After the alleged incident, Gil threatened the woman and said he would report her to immigration services and have her deported if she told the police, and that he would put a "hex" on her, Hackfeld said.
A victim's immigration status is a common concern, according to many who work with the Hispanic community.
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"I worked at Safe Haven for a while, and we did have women who came in who were threatened all the time with, 'Hey, if you go and you seek help I will call immigration on you,'" said Stephanie Davenport, president of the executive board of directors for Proyecto Inmigrante: Immigration Counseling Services in North Texas.
"Report this man immediately. Report what he's done so other victims, hopefully, they will come forth and report what has been done. And who knows what else will surface from that," Davenport said.
