Illegal Immigrant Faces 30 Rape Charges After ICE DNA Match in Decade-Long Indiana Case

An illegal immigrant faces 30 charges in a decade-long serial rape case in Marion County, Indiana, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement collected his DNA and cracked the case, authorities said.

Leonel Catalan-Torreblanca faces 30 charges, including level one felonies that carry potential sentences of up to 50 years in prison under Indiana's old penal code, Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears said at a news conference Wednesday.

The sexual assaults spanned more than a decade, with the first reported incident in March 2013 and the most recent in January 2024.

Local and federal investigators had known for years that the crimes were connected. DNA profiles from the scenes matched one another in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, but they lacked a match to a known offender.

Catalan-Torreblanca had avoided the database previously. His only prior criminal history was a misdemeanor DUI arrest, which does not require a DNA swab, authorities said.

The breakthrough came when ICE collected his DNA. That allowed his profile to enter CODIS and match the crime scenes.

FBI special agent in charge Tim O'Malley confirmed Catalan-Torreblanca was in the country illegally. Officials said they were not entirely sure of his original place of origin.

The FBI expedited and confirmed his identity on April 22. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit tracked him to a relative's house and arrested him within four hours.

"Incredible work out of FBI Indianapolis — our FBI teams and partners used advanced DNA technology and our Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to charge the suspect," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a statement on X.

Catalan-Torreblanca is held on a standard bond. It is unclear if ICE has lodged an immigration detainer against him.

At the news conference, Mears praised the incredible strength and resiliency of the survivors. They relived their trauma to help detectives bring the charges.

Authorities said Catalan-Torreblanca may have lived near apartment complexes where the attacks occurred. They warned of possible other victims or connected cases without DNA evidence.