Honduran Migrant Charged with Town’s First Stranger Rape in Over a Decade

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A tragic incident has sent shockwaves through Herndon, Virginia, where a Honduran national residing in the U.S. illegally has been charged with the town’s first stranger rape in over 12 years. The accused, 31-year-old Denis Humberto Navarette Romero, allegedly assaulted a woman on a popular hiking trail just days after being released from jail on a separate sex crime charge.

 

“This is the only stranger rape that we have had in the town in my more than 12 years as chief of police,” said Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard during a press conference. The crime has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny over local policies regarding undocumented individuals.

 

Romero’s arrest comes amid criticism from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who lambasted Fairfax County officials for releasing Romero into the community instead of transferring him to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “I am heartsick for this victim and outraged that local Fairfax County officials recklessly release violent illegal immigrants who should have been prosecuted and deported,” Youngkin told *The Post*. He further decried the decision as a dereliction of duty, stating, “Prioritizing violent illegal immigrants over the safety of Fairfax residents is unacceptable.”

 

Romero, whose criminal record spans years, was apprehended Monday night on charges of rape and intent to defile. Police say he attacked his victim on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail, a busy path just 25 miles from Washington, D.C. According to authorities, Romero grabbed the woman, forced her to the ground, and raped her before officers arrived and arrested him minutes later.  

 

The arrest followed his release from jail only four days earlier, after serving half of a 50-day sentence for indecent exposure. Authorities cited “good behavior” for his early release. “What is disturbing is the number of times this individual has been arrested and released,” Chief DeBoard said. “He has continued to reoffend, and his behavior has escalated to a rape in a very public area.”

 

Romero’s criminal history paints a troubling pattern. His first reported offense in Herndon dates back to 2018, when he allegedly fondled a 14-year-old girl. A subsequent investigation uncovered earlier incidents of indecent exposure involving two other minors, but the case was closed without charges when the victims’ families declined to cooperate with law enforcement.  

 

In 2022, Romero escalated his behavior, choking a police officer who responded to an incident where he slapped a woman’s rear at a local restaurant. Despite initially facing a felony assault charge, prosecutors downgraded it to a misdemeanor in exchange for a guilty plea.  

 

His most recent conviction stemmed from an October indecent exposure incident reported by Jennifer Pugh. Speaking to *Fox 5 DC*, Pugh described her encounter with Romero. “He kept coming trying to grab my dog. Then he was trying to come after me... he started pulling his stuff out,” she recounted.  

 

Authorities have expressed frustration over the systemic failures that allowed Romero to remain at large. Complicated by inconsistent spellings of his name across multiple arrests, law enforcement faced challenges piecing together his extensive criminal history. According to police, at least three variations of his name are tied to the same FBI records.  

 

The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office claimed it notified ICE of Romero’s status during his previous incarcerations, but no detainers or warrants were issued, leaving local officials to release him each time. Chief DeBoard lamented these gaps in the system. “I tell the community you should feel safe here, and I do believe they are safe here... but when you have cases like this, I look at this and see some part of the system... if it was all working together, this never would have happened.”

 

Governor Youngkin echoed these frustrations, expressing optimism that changes in federal leadership will address these shortcomings. “When President Trump takes office, the political posturing will end and localities will cooperate with ICE to protect Virginians,” he said.  

As Romero awaits a preliminary hearing from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, the incident underscores the complexities and challenges of ensuring public safety amid overlapping local, state, and federal policies.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2024-11-26