Man accused of repeatedly exposing himself to women on trail arrested, Virginia cops say

Several reports of a man exposing himself and grabbing women and girls along a walking trail in Virginia have resulted in an arrest, police say.

Juan Alfaro Rodriguez, 42, of Herndon was charged with three counts of indecent exposure, according to a Sept. 10 news release from the Fairfax County Police Department.

It was not mentioned what the charges specifically stem from, but Rodriguez was referred to as the “(Washington and Old Dominion) Trail suspect” in the release.

Police have been investigating reports of at least six incidents in which a man exposed himself or tried to grab women or girls on or near the trail, The Washington Post reported. Investigators believe the cases are related.

“Detectives are continuing to review evidence to confirm Alfaro Rodriguez’s involvement in other cases,” the release states.

In one incident on Aug. 26, a man walked up to a woman from behind and grabbed her around the waist without wearing pants, according to an earlier release from police.

When the woman broke out of his grasp, he ran from the trail, authorities say.

Another woman was “attacked” on the trail, which is also used by bikers, that same day, NBC News reported.

While most victims have been adult women, some are girls under the age of 18, according to an Aug. 31 news conference held by Fairfax County police.

In another incident, a 14-year-old girl reported a man tried grabbing her as she walked her dog on the trail the evening of Aug. 30, according to NBC News. The girl escaped and made it home.

Earlier incidents took place on Aug. 3, 15 and 18, Fairfax County police say.

Authorities are holding a news conference on Sept. 12 to discuss how Rodriguez was caught, according to the release.

Rodriguez is in an adult detention center where he is being held without bond, police say.

The Washington & Old Dominion Trail spans about 45 miles and begins in Arlington County which is roughly 5 miles outside of Washington, D.C.

This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Man accused of repeatedly exposing himself to women on trail arrested, Virginia cops say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.