Honduran migrant charged in rape on Virginia running trail, has history of sex offenses

A Honduran man charged with raping a woman he attacked Monday on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Herndon, Virginia, is in the country illegally and was convicted of another sex crime just last week.

Suspect Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, 31, was given a 50-day sentence after pleading guilty to indecent exposure on Nov. 13. The Washington Times contacted the clerk of the Fairfax County General District Court to see when he would begin serving that sentence.

Five days after his guilty plea, Romero was arrested in connection to Monday night’s rape. 

“I am incredibly saddened and outraged that a crime like this could happen here in the town,” Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard said Tuesday. “It’s the only stranger rape that we’ve had in the town in my more than 12 years here as police chief.”

Police said the victim was walking on the trail near downtown Herndon around 8:50 p.m. when the suspect grabbed her, forced her to the ground and raped her.

She fought off her attacker, police said, and had a passerby call 911. 

Chief DeBoard said officers located Romero a short time later on the 700 block of Station Street. They found him in possession of some of the victim’s personal items and arrested and charged him with rape and abduction with an attempt to defile.

The chief said she believes Romero may have other victims, given his criminal history.

“He has a documented history of both sexual assaults and exposures in the region, beginning in 2022, including charges in the town of Herndon prior to last night’s incident,” Chief DeBoard said. “What is disturbing is the number of times this individual has been arrested and released, has continued to reoffend, and his behavior has escalated to a rape in a very public area in our town last night.” 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Fox affiliate WTTG that the agency is working on a response.

Fairfax County, like most of the Virginia suburbs around the District, is a sanctuary county that doesn’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement except for the most violent cases.