Suspect in rape of Maryland teen is illegal migrant from El Salvador: ICE

The suspect in the rape of a 15-year-old and an adult woman days later in Maryland was illegally in the United States, according to an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement spokesperson. 

The Montgomery County Police Department announced the arrest of 20-year-old Jose Roberto Hernandez-Penal, identified by some media outlets as Jose Roberto Hernandez-Espinal, last week.

An ICE spokesperson told a local Fox News affiliate on Friday that Hernandez-Espinal is from El Salvador and illegally entered the United States in 2013. 

The suspect is accused of wielding a machete when he approached two women on a hiking trail Tuesday afternoon. He allegedly stole the victims' property and sexually assaulted one of them. When he left the scene, he assaulted an adult male victim before he was taken into custody, police said. 

Officials also told the local outlet that the suspect has been linked to another rape at the same park involving a 15-year-old girl a few days earlier. 

The suspect was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, armed robbery, kidnapping, and weapons-related charges, according to police. Officials said they believe more women may have been assaulted by Hernandez-Penal and they urged victims to come forward. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.