Olympia Police: Rape suspect extradited from New York to Thurston County after investigation

OLYMPIA, Wash. - A rape suspect is being extradited from New York back to Thurston County to stand trial, following a months-long investigation by Olympia Police.

According to the police department, an officer was temporarily assigned to their detective division in June 2022. The officer investigated a rape case with few leads, authorities say.

The officer reached out to victims, the prosecutor, and eventually investigators around the U.S., uncovering several rapes tied to the suspect. Authorities say the suspect befriended women on social media, then traveled around the country to rape them.

The officer established probable cause for several rapes and issued an arrest warrant.

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Police in New York found and arrested the man and extradited him back to Thurston County, authorities announced Thursday.