Menlo College student accused of raping 12-year-old girl

A Menlo College student has been charged with allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in his campus dorm room.

San Mateo County prosecutors accused 19-year-old Andres Manuel Aguilar of luring the underage girl to his dorm room after the two met at a Menlo Park transit stop.

Aguilar allegedly gave the victim his phone number during their first meeting and then persuaded her to meet him on May 5, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, which confirmed to The Post. Investigators noted that although the victim allegedly told the suspect she was 17, Aguilar admitted to police that he knew she was still a minor.

The incident came to light after Atherton police were called to Stanford, where the victim and her mother received medical treatment, records show.

Prosecutors said the victim snuck out of her home after dark to meet Aguilar.

The pair reportedly went to the Sequoia Safeway in Redwood City to buy rum and beer before heading to the Atherton campus. Surveillance footage from the dormitory shows the couple entering Aguilar’s hallway and the victim leaving at a later time, the district attorney’s office said.

Inside the room, the suspect allegedly gave the girl alcohol and vaporized cannabis, prosecutors said.

The victim’s mother spoke anonymously about the painful night to protect her child’s identity.

“She waited until everyone was asleep and snuck out of the house,” the mother told KRON4. “They eventually went to college, where she was raped.”

The suspect is accused of pulling off the victim’s pants as she repeatedly protested, authorities said. Out of sudden fear of a possible pregnancy, Aguilar allegedly used DoorDash to order emergency contraception Plan B for the room, according to court documents.

Aguilar, of San Jose, is currently being held without bail on multiple felony charges, including aggravated sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a minor involving oral copulation, and furnishing marijuana to a minor under the age of 14.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe emphasized that the age of the victim changes the legal severity of the prosecution.

“When a child is 13 or younger, society treats them much more seriously,” Wagstaffe said in a statement. “The penalties are much higher. There is never any argument that a child would have consented in any way, and it only gets really serious when you are dealing with a 12-year-old child.”

Aguilar faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Although initially scheduled for an appearance in Midsummer Court, Aguilar’s preliminary hearing was postponed until August 27 in Redwood City Felony Court. In Department 50, retired Judge Barbara J. Mallach granted a joint motion by the prosecution and defense to continue the hearing, giving police and prosecutors additional time to pursue clues about a possible second victim.

The case, prosecuted by Sexual Assault DDA Kara K. Szkotak, marks the second rescheduling of the preliminary hearing since Aguilar’s initial misdemeanor arraignment on May 15, 2026. Aguilar, who has retained attorney Eli Mohaghegh-Yazdi, remains in custody without bail status.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Atherton police.

“If you know this man, if you have had negative interactions with him, or if you are a victim of rape by him,” the mother said, “please come forward.”

The incident has stunned the community at Menlo College, an exclusive, private business institution known for its close-knit student population of approximately 810 to 880 students.

The campus is highly ranked worldwide, with the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) placing the campus in the top 8.3% of universities worldwide and ranked 62 globally for graduate employability. It also boasts an AACSB business accreditation held by less than 5% of schools worldwide.

University administrators have declined to release specific details about the suspect’s enrollment status, citing privacy protocols.

“We take all allegations of criminal conduct and misconduct involving our community with the utmost seriousness,” a Menlo College spokesperson said in a statement to KRON4. “In accordance with federal and state privacy laws, we cannot confirm identities or provide details of ongoing investigations.”

The case follows a recent investigation at UC Santa Barbara into an alleged rape that sparked massive opposition from student advocacy groups.

Similarly, UCLA recently faced security alerts after a man with no university ties was arrested for a series of separate physical attacks on multiple women, including students, on university grounds.

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