NAMPA, Idaho — On Wednesday afternoon, Nampa Police arrested a priest from St. Paul’s Catholic Church on charges of sexual battery of a minor.

According to the Diocese of Boise website , Father Robert “Toto” Mendez joined St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa in August of 2022.

Mendez began his work for the Catholic Church in India as a member of the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Diocese of Boise describes the Neocatechumenal Way as a form of missionary work where "missionaries live among the poor, adapting to their customs and preaching the gospel through the way they live."

Mendez was later ordained as a priest and served in three parishes in his home country of Costa Rica before moving to the United States.

After contacting several dioceses in the United States, he spoke with Father Caleb Vogel,

See Full Page