Undocumented Immigrant Arrested for Rape Spree in Indiana

The Department of Homeland Security recently confirmed to a news outlet that an undocumented immigrant, involved in a decade-long series of rapes in Indiana, has a history of multiple criminal convictions and has faced arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) twice before.

Leonel Catalan-Torreblanca, originally from Mexico, was taken into custody on April 22, facing thirty charges that include rape, sexual assault, confinement, kidnapping, strangulation, and robbery. ICE has requested that local authorities in Indiana keep him in custody, rather than release him.

The alleged assaults reportedly took place from March 2013 through January 2024. Authorities tied DNA evidence from the crime scenes to Catalan-Torreblanca, but prior to this, his DNA was not included in national databases, making it difficult to identify him as a suspect.

His arrest came after a DNA swab collected by ICE was entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), resulting in a direct match. It’s worth noting that he has past convictions, including offenses related to drunken driving and voyeurism.

How and when he initially entered the United States remains uncertain. His records show he was apprehended by ICE in 2012 and released under the Obama administration. He faced arrest again in 2017 but voluntarily returned to Mexico the following year. According to the DHS, he illegally reentered the U.S. in 2023 during the current administration, which is classified as a felony.

DHS spokesperson Lauren Biss commended law enforcement efforts in bringing an end to the suspect’s long series of offenses. She emphasized the importance of collaboration between Indiana authorities and ICE in ensuring that he is ultimately removed from the country.

Biss further commented on the administration’s strict stance toward criminal undocumented immigrants, stating that they are not welcome in the U.S.