Serial Rape Suspect in Custody
Jose Luis Capacete is accused of assaulting a woman in Santa Ana
Kim Baldonado and Sue Monroe
The arrest of Jose Luis Capacete caught his neighbors by surprise. Word that he may have committed many rapes was even more shocking
A 39-year-old man who works for the Brinks Armored Car company in Garden Grove was behind bars Wednesday for allegedly raping a woman in Santa Ana.
Investigators suspect Jose Luis Capacete, of Baldwin Park, may be responsible for multiple rapes in Orange County. Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said Capacete preys on illegal immigrants.
Capacete made his first appearance in court Tuesday on felony charges of sodomy by force, oral copulation by force and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, according to court records.
Capacete's arraignment was postponed until Feb. 9, and he was being held without bail.
He is accused of abducting a woman walking in the 300 block of South Harbor Boulevard on Dec. 24, taking her in his 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan to the 1600 north block of Harbor, where he allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, Bertagna said.
"He bound the victim in the car, took her clothes off and when he was done with her he pushed her out of the car nude and threw her clothes on top of her," Bertagna said.
The alleged rape happened behind a rental business. Employee Carroll Herren said he will never forget the woman's frightened look.
"You could tell she was traumatized, you could tell she was cold," Herren said.
Herren added the woman could only describe her assailant as Hispanic.
"All she said to me was she had been raped, the guy had a gun, and she had been tased and tied up," Herren said.
Police connected Capacete to the crime through an undisclosed piece of evidence that ended up on the pile of clothes, Bertagna said.
Capacete was arrested Friday, he said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Capacete was a security guard for the Brinks Armored Car company, Bertagna said, adding the suspect does have a gun permit.
Capacete also put himself through a police academy and has been applying for law enforcement jobs, Bertagna said. He has a prior arrest for solicitation of prostitution, Bertagna said.
Santa Ana investigators suspect he may be involved in another attack in Garden Grove, and they are working with Homeland Security officials on another case, Bertagna said.
After a search of his home on Friday, investigators suspect there may be several more victims, Bertagna said.
"We believe that he selects people that are illegal immigrants and possible prostitutes because he has one prior arrest for solicitation of prostitution and these are people who won't report the incidents," Bertagna said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS or (855) 847-6227.
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