A man accused of raping a teen girl, sexually assaulting and robbing a woman, and attacking a man in a Maryland park is an illegal immigrant, according to officials.
A 15-year-old girl was raped last week at a park in Silver Spring, Maryland, according to WTTG.
Around 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday, two women were having lunch when they were confronted by a man with a machete at the same park. He reportedly tried to steal their phones at the Burnt Mills East Special Park in Silver Spring.
The man allegedly threatened one of the women with the weapon. He pointed the machete at her back and led her to a secluded part of the park before raping her, court documents say.
The suspect purportedly robbed the raped woman of her jewelry before fleeing the crime scene. While leaving the park, the man assaulted an adult male victim, according to a news release by the Montgomery County Police Department.
The woman who was raped said she feared for her life during the harrowing encounter. A relative said the rape victim is still recovering in a Maryland hospital.
The suspect, Jose Roberto Hernandez-Espinal, was arrested on Tuesday by detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division. He was transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.
He was charged with first-degree rape, first- and second-degree assault, and armed robbery. Hernandez-Espinal was also charged with kidnapping and weapons-related crimes.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Hernandez-Espinal is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. He illegally entered the United States in May 2013, according to immigration officials.
Detectives believe that there may be additional sexual assault victims by Hernandez-Espinal.
Authorities are urging anyone with more information about the case to contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
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