Mario Ronces Ocampo, 39, of Villa Park
ELMHURST, Ill. - Mario Ronces Ocampo, a 39-year-old Villa Park man, is accused of targeting a woman who was alone on the popular Illinois Prairie Path trail, groping her twice before taking off on an electric scooter.
Villa Park man accused of sexually assaulting woman on trail
What we know:
Around 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, Elmhurst police state that they got a 911 call from a woman who said she had been groped by a man on an electric scooter while she was on the Illinois Prairie Path near South York Street. Authorities say the woman had been out for a run when she lost her keys and stopped to look for them using her phone's flashlight.
That's when Ronces Ocampo allegedly rode his scooter directly toward her, collided with her and touched her genitals, then tried to hug her before fleeing westbound on the path. About 10 minutes later, according to the State's Attorney's press release, Ronces Ocampo came back from behind and grabbed her buttocks before taking off again.
The arrest and court ruling
Timeline:
Investigators spent five days tracking down Ronces Ocampo, using security camera footage from nearby businesses and tips from the community, according to DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. On Tuesday, Aug. 25, at around 1 p.m., authorities said that they found him in Melrose Park and took him into custody without any issues.
What's next:
Ronces Ocampo faces one count each of aggravated battery in a public place and criminal sexual abuse. A judge granted the state's request to hold him before trial and his next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 21.
What they're saying:
"The allegation that Mr. Ronces Ocampo approached an innocent woman who was alone on the Prairie Path, ran into her with his electric scooter and sexually abused her is very disturbing and will not be tolerated in DuPage County," Berlin said in a statement. "One of DuPage County's greatest amenities is our trail system and users of our trails and bike ways can rest assured that law enforcement throughout the county is working hard to ensure the public can enjoy these facilities without having to fear for their personal safety."
"This was a serious and disturbing incident and I want to assure our community that the Elmhurst Police Department worked tirelessly over the past five days to identify, locate and arrest the suspect," said Elmhurst Police Chief Michael McLean. "Bringing resolution to this case took the combined cooperation of police, business operators with security cameras and members of the community who provided crucial leads to our investigators."
The Source: This story uses information from a press release by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and the Elmhurst Police Department. It was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.