CROWN POINT, Ind. — Jorge Alberto Patino was sentenced Thursday by Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez to 78 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for repeatedly sexually abusing a young child in Hammond between 2022 and 2024.
He is not in custody. The Lake County Prosecutor's Office said so in its announcement, and The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that he remains at large.
Key facts
| Who | Jorge Alberto Patino, 33, described by The Times as a Hammond man |
| Sentence | 78 years total, served consecutively |
| Counts sentenced | Count 2, Level 1 felony child molesting: 40 years. Count 4, Level 1 felony child molesting: 30 years. Count 10, Level 4 felony child molesting: 8 years. |
| Judge | Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez, per The Times |
| Verdict | Lake County jury, Lake Superior Court, Sept. 2026; guilty on 14 felony counts, acquitted on a top count |
| Custody | Not in custody, per the prosecutor's office; arrest warrant outstanding, per the court docket (Post-Tribune) |
The case
The case came from a Hammond Police Department investigation. According to court documents cited by the prosecutor's office, the child told investigators about multiple incidents over an extended period.
In September, a Lake County jury found Patino guilty of 14 felonies. Region News Source reported they were six counts of Level 1 felony child molesting, two counts of Level 3 felony rape, two counts of Level 4 felony child molesting, one count of Level 4 felony criminal confinement, two counts of Level 6 felony intimidation and one count of Level 6 felony dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
Patino did not appear for the trial, the Post-Tribune reported. The jury acquitted him on a top count he faced. He was sentenced on three child-molesting counts and the remaining verdicts were vacated, the Post-Tribune reported, citing court records.
The probable-cause affidavit, as summarized by Region News Source, says the child disclosed the abuse to investigators.
Who worked the case
Hammond police Detective Christopher Matonovich led the investigation with Officer Arthur Latiker, according to the prosecutor's office. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tara Villarreal tried the case.
The office also credited Dunebrook Children's Advocacy Center, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and the Indiana State Police Laboratory.
"This verdict represents accountability for extremely serious crimes committed against a child," Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter said after the September verdict, according to Region News Source.
In Thursday's announcement, the office said Carter stressed holding people accountable for crimes against children.
What's next
Patino was arrested after he was charged in June 2024 and posted bond. A warrant for his arrest remains outstanding, according to the court docket, the Post-Tribune reported Oct. 16. The prosecutor's office said only that he is not in custody.
Region N3 is not naming the child or any relatives, and has left out details that could identify the family.
Patino can appeal. Region N3 will update this story if he is taken into custody.
Photo credit
- Lead photo: Lake County Courthouse, 1944, Crown Point. Steve Shook, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Resized.
- Hammond Metropolitan Police Department, about 1910. Steve Shook, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Resized.
- Hammond City Hall, about 1965. Steve Shook, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Resized.
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