Montgomery County Police announced Friday that a 24-year-old Hyattsville man has been charged in the Northwest Branch Trail rape case after authorities said he admitted involvement in the assault during an interview with investigators.
Police arrested Joaquin A. Orellana Torres on Friday morning after noticing him on the Northwest Branch Trail near the site of the reported rape. Police were at the location looking for evidence when they spotted Torres, who authorities said resembled the suspect description and had a backpack and beaded necklace that the victim described.
Police charged Torres with first-degree rape and armed robbery. Police said Torres, of Hughes Road in Hyattsville, will have a bond review today at 1 p.m. in Rockville District Court.
Police increased patrols on park trails last week after a woman in her 20s reported that a man on the Northwest Branch Trail in Silver Spring raped her at knifepoint on May 5. The assault occurred near Oakview Drive, near the Prince George’s County line, on the trail that extends from U.S. 29 in the south to Wheaton Regional Park in the north, according to police.
