WA child rape suspect on the run for 2 years arrested
Suspected Pierce County child rapist arrested
Pierce County deputies arrested a child rape suspect who has been on the run for more than two years.
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - Pierce County deputies arrested a child rape suspect who has been on the run for more than two years.
On Tuesday night, deputies arrested 53-year-old Juan Steagall-Martinez at the Olympic Village Apartments.
Steagall-Martinez had been reportedly causing issues with his roommate, and neighbors called police. When deputies arrived, one of them recognized Steagall-Martinez from the recent attention his case has gotten.
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Pierce County deputies looking for suspect wanted for child rape, molestation
Detectives with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department are looking for a suspect wanted for the sexual assault of three children in Midland.
Probable cause documents FOX 13 Seattle obtained from when the incident happened in September 2022 state that Steagall-Martinez raped a six-year-old girl and molested two eight-year-old girls.
The victims lived in a mobile home park where Steagall-Martinez worked. Court documents say Steagall-Martinez used his role as the mobile home park handyman to get close to the families and gain their trust.
The incidents happened in 2022, but Steagall-Martinez had been on the run from the charges for the last two years without any updates — until this month, when the mother of one of the victims saw Steagall-Martinez sitting on a bench at Wapato Park in Tacoma in the middle of the day.
Accused child rapist on the run arrested in Tacoma
Pierce County deputies have arrested a man accused of child rape and molestation who had been on the run for more than two years.
Bodycam obtained by FOX 13 Seattle shows a deputy recognizing Steagall-Martinez from the recent ‘wanted’ flyer. The flyer featured a new picture of Steagall-Martinez that the victim’s mother was able to take during her interaction with the suspect.
Steagall-Martinez appeared in court today. He faces charges of rape of a child and two charges of child molestation.
VIDEO: Accused child rapist on the run for 2 years arrested in Pierce County
Pierce County deputies arrested a child rape suspect who had been on the run for more than two years.
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