An undocumented Honduran immigrant has been charged with raping a woman on a popular hiking trail outside Washington, D.C., days after being released from prison on unrelated sex crime charges. This is the first sexual assault of this type in the city in more than a year. 10 years, according to authorities.
“In the 12-plus years that I've been chief of police, this is the only unknown rape that has occurred in this city,” Herndon, Virginia, Police Chief Maggie DeBord said at a news conference Tuesday.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin criticized local officials for allowing the serial pest to be released back into the community instead of being turned over to ICE and deported.
“My heart hurts for this victim and I am outraged that local Fairfax County authorities recklessly released a violent illegal immigrant who should have been prosecuted and deported,” the Republican said. told the Post.
“This is a dereliction of our most basic duty to keep people safe. It is unacceptable to prioritize violent illegal immigrants over the safety of Fairfax residents,” he continued, adding that Virginia is not a sanctuary state. added.
Officers arrested 31-year-old Dennis Humberto Navarrette Romero on Monday on charges of corruption and rape.
Herndon police said the suspect is a Honduran national living in the U.S. illegally and has a rap sheet dating back several years.
Romero was released from prison on Monday, just four days before his arrest on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of the nation's capital.
He was released on Nov. 14 after serving half of his 50-day indecent sentence for “good behavior,” authorities said.
Police said the victim did not know her assailant before the assault, but just before 9 p.m. Monday, the victim grabbed her arm, pushed her to the ground, and allegedly raped her on a busy walking path. there was.
After a bystander called for help, officers arrived on the scene and arrested Romero within minutes.
Police Chief DeBord told reporters that Romero has a history of sexual assault in the town and surrounding areas.
“What is disturbing is the number of times this person has been arrested and released,” she told reporters. “He was a repeat offender and his behavior escalated to very public rapes.”
Romero's sex crimes began in 2018 when Herndon police received a report that a pervert had fondled a 14-year-old boy. This led to a Fairfax County sex crimes investigation that revealed he had sexually assaulted a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old the previous year, according to police records obtained by police. washington post.
However, the victim's parents did not want to talk to the police, and the investigation ended without charges being filed.
His first arrest came four years later, when he choked a Herndon police officer in response to another deviant act, this time slapping a woman on the back at a local restaurant.
Herndon police charged him with felony assault on a law enforcement officer, but the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney reduced the charge to misdemeanor assault in exchange for a guilty plea.
His most recent slammer appearance was for an indecent exposure incident on October 19th.
The victim, Jennifer Pugh, I spoke with Fox 5 DC She ended up filing a police report regarding his indecent displays.
“He kept trying to grab my dog. Then he tried to chase me and said something. He didn't speak English, but all of a sudden he started pulling his stuff out.” Pugh told local media. “I said, 'There's cameras everywhere in the ring,' but he didn't care.”
The pest is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center pending a preliminary hearing.
Police records show inconsistent spelling of suspects' names in a series of arrests, complicating efforts to piece together suspects' extensive criminal histories. At least three versions of the name have been traced back to the FBI number and fingerprints of the suspect police officer arrested Monday. The Washington Post reported.
The Fairfax County Sheriff's Office says it notifies ICE each time it arrests an illegal alien, but an attorney for the department told The Washington Post that on the four occasions Romero was taken into custody, He said he has never received any detainees or warrants from authorities.
In a local interview, DeBord lamented the failures of the justice system and the fear it causes in communities.
“It's frustrating because I'm telling the community they should be safe here. I believe they're safe here. I really do. But this When something like this happens, I look at this and look at some of the systems… 'If this is all there is to it, we can work together and make it work.' It would never have happened,” the chief said, adding that neither party to the process is responsible.
Governor Yonkin said the silver lining is that by 2025, the policies that allowed Navarrette-Romero to run wild in the community will no longer work.
“Once President Trump takes office, the political posturing will end and local governments will work with ICE to protect Virginians,” Youngkin said.
