News

Man suspected of raping 12-year-old stepdaughter in Landmark area flees to El Salvador

A 32-year-old Alexandria man fled to his native county of El Salvador last month, after allegedly raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter in the Landmark area.

The girl gave birth to a boy on June 10.

Her mother told police that the last time she spoke with her husband was on May 8, when he called and said that he was going fishing. The stepfather never returned, and his wife later received a text from his brother showing her husband with his sister in El Salvador, according to a police search warrant affidavit.

The girl told police that her stepfather raped her three times — twice in their apartment in the 200 block of S. Reynolds Street in the Landmark area and once at their previous apartment in Manassas. She said that he threatened to kill her mother if she told her about the incidents, and forced her to say that she got pregnant by another student, according to police.

Alexandria Police later found that the suspect deactivated his Facebook account, and that he flew on an early morning Avianca Airlines flight to El Salvador.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.