Officials say that the suspect accused of raping both a girl aged 15 and a woman, on a Maryland hiking path, is illegally in the U.S.
Jose Roberto Hernandez Espinal, 20 was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping and stealing jewelry from a woman at Burnt Mills East Special Park. Hernandez-Espinal, according to officials, is suspected of also raping a girl aged 15 on the same trail in Silver Spring last week.
A spokesperson for ICE stated that Hernandez Espinal was originally from El Salvador, and illegally entered the U.S.A. in May 2013.
Montgomery County Police Department reports that the suspect approached an adult victim on a trail Tuesday afternoon. The suspect then demanded their cell phones and threatened them with a Machete.
According to court documents, Hernandez-Espinal allegedly pointed a machete at the woman’s back before leading her into a wooded area and raping the victim.
The suspect has also been accused of stealing jewelry from a woman before fleeing. According to a relative, the victim of the rape is currently recovering in the hospital.
Authorities have confirmed that the rape took place a few days prior to the incident on Tuesday, but they did not provide any details.
Hernandez-Espinal faces charges of first-degree rape and assaults in the first and second degrees, as well as armed robbery. He was also accused of kidnapping, weapons crimes, and assaults.
Anyone with more information about the case is asked to call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
We contacted ICE to get more information but we haven’t heard anything back. No additional information is available at this time.
