Juan Alfaro Rodriguez facing indecent exposure, sexual battery charges over string of assaults along Washington and Old Dominion Trail
The since-arrested naked madman accused of terrorizing women and girls on a popular Virginia walking trail over the past several months will eventually be extradited back to New York where he faced pending charges of attempted rape and sexual assault, law enforcement officials revealed on Monday.
Juan Alfaro Rodriguez, 42, is accused of assaulting and exposing himself to women and girls along the 45-mile Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail in at least 13 cases being investigated out of Fairfax County, as well as an additional eight cases specific to the town of Herndon since July 15.
At a press conference on Monday, Fairfax County police Lt. Ryan Lazisky said Alfaro Rodriguez, who was nabbed as an out-of-state fugitive at a Herndon business on Thursday evening, had been facing attempted rape and sexual assault charges in Suffolk County, New York, since about a year ago.
But Alfaro Rodriguez is believed to have been living in Virginia since at least January.
“Over the last two months, a predator victimized over a dozen people and shook an entire community,” Lazisky said. “There was no rape in these cases, but he did assault victims … He does have similar motives, and he does have an extensive history.”
Alfaro Rodriguez remains held without bond at a Fairfax County jail.
So far, he has been charged with three counts of indecent exposure, as well as an additional two counts of obscene sexual display and sexual battery for an Aug. 18 incident.
On Aug. 31, Fairfax County Police Department detectives released a photo of a person of interest in recent assault and indecent exposure incidents along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, near Reston and Herndon, Virginia.
“It’s important to note that there is still significant investigative work to be done in order to ensure successful prosecution of this subject,” Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard said in a video statement on Sunday. “A police to community partnership based on trust must always exist in order for us to help keep our community safe. We cannot do it without your help, and we appreciate all of the information you have provided us in order to ensure we have safely put a predator behind bars.”
On Sept. 2, the Herndon Police Department released a police sketch depiction of the suspect sought in connection to an Aug. 26 assault at approximately 3 p.m. on the W&OD Trail near Ferndale Avenue.
DeBoard said officers responded to an Aug. 26 incident involving a victim who was jogging and said she was approached by an unknown male. The suspect was engaging in obscene sexual behavior and grabbed the victim’s genitals before fleeing the area. Police obtained video from a resident’s backyard camera showing a suspect fitting the description fleeing the area.
Eventually, the U.S. Marshals Service contacted local agencies saying they had information that a suspect wanted out of state also could be the same person sought in the sexual battery and assaults along the trail. Detectives received tips from citizens who witnessed the suspect while exercising. A victim who came forward after Alfaro Rodriguez was already in custody regarding a previously unreported assault provided detectives with a close-up cell-phone video of the incident and suspect, leading to positive identification, DeBoard said.
