Washington, D.C., Capuchin Priest Arrested For Child Sexual Abuse

Father Urbano Vazquez, OFM, Cap.,
in his Washington, D.C., parish church

Photo courtesy: nbcwashington.com/

Father Urbano Vazquez, OFM Cap., parochial vicar of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in northwest Washington, D.C., was arrested on November 7 of a charge of second-degree child sexual abuse. He was later released after his court appearance. 

According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA) report, he was accused of placing his hand down the shirt of a 13-year-old girl on two occasions and had touched her bare chest in May 2015. According to court documents, the girl's mother had complained of the abuse to the shrine's pastor Father Moises Villalta, OFM Cap., in 2015, but he failed to inform the police. 

The Archdiocese of Washington, after learning of the first allegation on October 26 from Capuchin Order of Friars Minor, removed Fr. Vazquez from the parish, suspended his priestly faculties in the diocese, and informed local police who then arrested him. After his arrest, the archdiocese received additional allegations against Fr. Vazquez. 

The Fox News reports additional two cases, where one 16-year-old girl was forcefully kissed by Fr. Vazquez in 2015 and her mother walked in during the alleged incident. The girl and her mother both reported it to the church twice in September 2015 and in January 2016. The third victim was a 15-year-old girl whose lower thigh was stroked by this priest during confession. 

For more, please read the following:

• Capuchin priest arrested in Washington DC (Nov. 8, 2018)
• DC Priest Accused of Sexually Abusing Teenage Girl (Nov. 8, 2018)
• DC priest charged with child sexual abuse released after court appearance (Nov. 8, 2018)
• Three teens allege abuse by Catholic priest in D.C., court papers say (Nov. 8, 2018)