Suspect in Silver Spring trail rape case is in US illegally: ICE
Hyattsville man accused in two rape cases in U.S. illegally
New details in the case of a man accused of raping a teenager and a woman in the same park that spans Montgomery and Prince George's County. According to court documents FOX 5 has obtained, 20-year-old Jose Hernandez-Espinal is accused of approaching a teenage girl and her boyfriend back on May 10 at the Northwest Branch Trail. He allegedly followed the couple before threatening them with a large knife and forcing the 15-year-old into the woods nearby.
WASHINGTON - The suspect accused of raping a 15-year-old girl and a woman days later on a Maryland hiking trail is in the U.S. illegally, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Roberto Hernandez-Espinal, 20, was arrested and charged with raping a woman and robbing her friend Tuesday at Burnt Mills East Special Park.
Court documents revealed Hernandez-Espinal walked up to the woman and her friend who was having lunch in the park, threatened them with a machete and demanded their phones. Then, police said he pointed the machete at one of the women’s backs, walked her to a secluded part of the trail, raped her, stole her jewelry then ran away.
According to an ICE spokesperson, Hernandez-Espinal is a national of El Salvador and unlawfully entered the U.S. in May 2013.
Alleged Silver Spring trail rapist linked to sex assault in Prince George's County
Investigators believe the suspect accused of raping a woman, and robbing her and a friend Tuesday on a Silver Spring trail is linked to another rape at the same park, a few days prior.