ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Pa. — A Guatemalan wanted in connection with a 2022 sexual assault on the Caperton Rail Trail in Star City has been captured by U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania.
Acting U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of West Virginia Terry Moore said Antonio Gabriel Mendez, aka Emilio Pascual Guzman, 32, was arrested without incident Monday afternoon while working at a restaurant in St. Clairsville. U.S. Marshals from the Middle District of Pennsylvania assisted in the arrest.
“We conducted surveillance of the restaurant, and we were able to positively identify the suspect as working there, and we made the arrest without incident,” Moore said.
Mendez is wanted in connection with an assault that happened in September 2022 near the Star City Park on the Caperton Rail-Trail. Moore said Mendez is known to have committed similar crimes in the past.
“This suspect seemed to make acquaintances and lure them into an area and sexually assault them before fleeing,” Moore said.
Moore said Mendez was working at a restaurant in the Star City-Morgantown area when the assault in September occurred and managed to find a similar job while he was on the lam. Moore said they will also talk to the businesses to determine how he was hired and if they have knowledge of his past criminal activity.
“That will be something that we look into because he worked at a restaurant in the Star City-Morgantown area and in Pennsylvania as well,” Moore said.
Mendez is scheduled for an initial court appearance in Pennsylvania. If he is detained, he will be extradited back to West Virginia to stand trial.
Story by Mike Nolting, WAJR