A man was arrested and charged Monday night shortly after police say he raped a woman on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Herndon, Virginia.
Minutes after officers arrived to the scene, police said they took Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, 31, into custody on a charge of abduction with intent to defile and rape. Police said the victim didn’t know Romero before the assault.
“This is the only stranger rape that we have had in the town in my more than 12 years as chief of police,” Chief Maggie DeBoard said at a Tuesday news conference.
DeBoard said the woman was walking on the trail between Ferndale Avenue and Grace Street when the suspect grabbed her arm, forced her to the ground and raped her. Afterward, she flagged down a passerby who called for help just before 9 p.m.
Police said Romero is no stranger to law enforcement, and he has a history of sexual assault and exposures in the region, including in Herndon.
“What is disturbing is the number of times this individual has been arrested and released,” said DeBoard.
Based on his prior arrests and comments Romero made to police, DeBoard said officials believe there may be other victims and are encouraging anyone with information to contact the department.
The public trail is a well-traveled route by avid cyclists and pedestrians. Police said they will have uniformed officers patrolling the route to ease any concerns from the public.
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