A man is free without bail following accusations he sexually assaulted a sleeping Hudson Valley woman. Police say this proves "bail reform is failing."

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In September 2020, Saugerties Police Department detectives initiated an investigation into a reported sexual assault that occurred during the overnight hours in the Village of Saugerties. The complainant reported to the police that she was sleeping when she was awoken by a man standing in her bedroom next to her bed with his hand under her clothes and between her legs, police say.

The man fled the home after awaking and startling the victim, police say. An investigation conducted by police detectives led to the arrest of 24-year-old Jairo A. Gonzalez-Palma. Police list the 24-year-old as homeless and a citizen of Guatemala.

Gonzalez-Palma has five prior arrests in Saugerties, one of which included burglary charges in 2018 when Gonzalez-Palma illegally entered another person’s dwelling, according to the Saugerties Police Department.

Gonzalez-Palma was charged with second-degree burglary, a felony, and forcible touching, a misdemeanor. He was arranged by the Village of Saugerties Justice Court and released on his own recognizance upon the court issuing an Order of Protection on behalf of the victim.

"This is another sad example of how bail reform is failing," the Saugerties Police Department said in a press release.

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