Prince George’s County police officials say the state’s failure to send an officer a court summons is the reason for his missing a court date that led to robbery and assault charges being dropped against a man now suspected of raping a 10-year-old girl.

On Jan. 29, Jose Israel Acosta-Ortega, 29, of Takoma Park, was set to face the testimony of the officer and two witnesses in his trial on charges of attacking and attempting to rob a man in October. But the officer and the witnesses never showed, and prosecutors was forced to drop the charges, a spokesman for Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey said.