Ignite Life Center Pastors Wanted to Handle Reported Sexual Abuses Internally
The statement submitted by an anonymous tipper from Ignite Life Center (ILC) on Tuesday has been proven correct.
A Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Supplemental Report shows that senior pastor Mark Vega and associate pastor Jose Cruz wanted to leave the law out of it after discovering their sons Christian David Vargas (son of Vega) and Noel Cruz repeatedly committed statutory rape on church grounds.
According to the supplemental report, police didn’t find out about the sexual incidents between Noel Cruz and the victim until July 2023, when the victim told a former ILC summer internship student about it.
The former student told her parent and then she reported the incidents to police.
In June 2021, 17-year-old Vargas began having sex the 15-year-old victim. Two months later, 20-year-old Noel Cruz began having sex with the same girl.
Noel Cruz was arrested on a warrant for sexual battery on February 19th for these incidents. Vargas is not being charged for this due to Romeo and Juliet laws; however, he is facing charges for allegedly raping a 12- to 13-year-old girl when he was 16, as well as making unwanted sexual advances towards a 14 year-old girl when he was 17 and 18.
According to the supplemental report, the victim told police that she informed her parents about the sexual misconduct in November 2022.
The victim's father spoke over the phone with Vega and Jose Cruz, and the three of them planned a meeting with themselves, the victim, Vargas, and Noel Cruz.
Jose Cruz and Vega reportedly told the victim’s father over the phone, “We’re gonna scare the shit out of these guys and let them know what will happen if the law gets involved.”
Pastors Vega and Jose Cruz, their accused sons, as well as the victim and her parents, met with other ILC leaders at Vega’s house.
During the meeting, Noel Cruz and Vagras admitted to taking advantage of the victim, and there was an agreement that the sexual activity between them and her would stop. Vega reportedly explained to the meeting's attendees, “Jail would not resolve the issue.”
The supplemental report states the victim’s father forgave Vargas and Noel Cruz at the time because he expected there to be a change after the meeting, but there was no acknowledgement of what happened. He told police he was okay with keeping it internal because he thought there would be “healing and restoration.”
The victim's father told investigators he felt naive for not reporting the incidents to law enforcement from the beginning. He stated he left the church after former employee Gabriel Hemenez was arrested on July 6, 2023, for sexually abusing three minors during a month-long youth internship program held by ILC in July 2021.
The victim told police that the intercourse was consensual but that she felt like she was taken advantage of by Vargas and Noel Cruz.
The supplemental report additionally discloses that the child of the informant who told the police about these incidents reported sexual abuse at an ILC internship held in the Summer of 2018.
The supplemental report conflicts with ILC’s statements after Hemenez was arrested, saying they have been “fully cooperative with the investigative process being led by [GPD].”
Everyone who works at ILC is required to take prevention of sexual abuse training and is mandated to report sexual abuse.
Edited April 29, 2025: Article stated Noel Cruz was charged in February 2024. He was charged in October 2023 via sworn complaint and arrested on a warrant in February 2024.
Edited Aug 6, 2025: Added acronyms for GPD and ILC and clarified dates of incidents and when police were informed.
