A Hispanic is going to prison for raping his nine-year-old stepdaughter

With an interpreter by his side, 31-year-old Ruben Garcia pleaded guilty to first degree rape. The plea agreement means that Garcia avoids a jury trial, but he won't avoid a lengthy prison term. The maximum sentence for rape in the 1st degree in South Dakota is life in prison. In exchange for a shorter sentence, Garcia pleaded guilty to raping the girl and now awaits sentencing. "There's a mandatory minimum of 15 years and under the plea agreement he's facing up to 40 years actually," Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan said. Sioux Falls police say that Garcia raped the child while a seven-year-old watched it happen. The children later told their mother who contacted authorities. Garcia must undergo a mandatory psycho-sexual evaluation, which the court will use in determining a prison sentence.