HUERFANO COUNTY – A former pastor at a camp in Huerfano County was arrested on felony charges of sex assault on a child. The victims were teenagers who attended the camp back in 2013.
The warrant for Mike Anthony Encina, 52, was issued in July after one of the victims came forward to authorities. However, Encina wasn’t taken into custody until November 10.
Deputies with the Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office suspect there may be additional victims either from Huerfano County, or perhaps neighboring Otero County where Encina had ties to another camp.
The assaults for which he was arrested reportedly occurred in 2013 at Camp Elim which was located here in the Navajo Ranch subdivision, about 10-minute drive outside of Walsenburg.
According to the Affidavit for Probable Cause, Encina was an employee at the camp from 2013 to 2016. Both victims are male and told investigators that the assaults happened inside of an RV where they were staying with Encina. They each described events in which Encina touched them inappropriately, forced them to undress and to have oral sex with him.
Encina faces four charges of felony sex assault on a child. He was released from jail on $50,000 bond last Wednesday and is scheduled to be in court again on December 13 for formal filing of charges.
News 5 searched Encina’s criminal history and found no other previous convictions in the State of Colorado other than traffic offenses. However, he did get a divorce in 2014.
