BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police Department officers have arrested a suspect in connection with a sexual assault that occurred on September 29, 2024. The suspect, identified as Rodrigo Perez Curiel, was taken into custody on October 1st and is facing multiple charges, including rape and escape.
On September 29, at approximately 5:50 a.m., a woman reported to the Bloomington Police Department that an unknown man had sexually assaulted her. The victim stated that she was attacked from behind while walking near the roundabout on West 17th Street and forced into a nearby ditch where the assault took place.
According to the victim’s statement, she had walked to a gas station at the intersection of 17th Street and College Avenue to get a drink. On her way back, walking west along 17th Street, a male grabbed her and forced her to the ground. The victim reported that the man was armed with a box cutter and repeatedly threatened to kill her. The assailant also took the victim’s cell phone when she attempted to call 911.
Officers noted visible bruising on the victim’s arms, a cut on her neck, and mud and grass covering her clothing. The victim was transported to a local hospital for evidence collection by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
Investigators reviewed nearby surveillance camera footage and identified a vehicle believed to be operated by the male suspect before and after the assault. While the license plate was not visible in the footage, Flock license plate readers in the area captured pictures of the vehicle’s rear around the time of the assault, providing investigators with a license plate number.
On October 1, investigators located the suspect’s vehicle in the 1200 block of North Maple Street and began surveillance. At approximately 1:19 p.m., they observed a man entering the car and driving away. Officers stopped the vehicle in the 1300 block of West Third Street and took the driver, who was identified as Rodrigo Perez Curiel, into custody without incident.
Following an interview at the Bloomington Police Department, Curiel was transported to the Monroe County Jail. However, while in the jail’s sallyport awaiting custody transfer, Curiel attempted to escape when an overhead door was opened. Still handcuffed, he ran out of the sallyport but was quickly apprehended by officers who tackled him to the ground in the 400 block of North Morton Street near City Hall.
Rodrigo Perez Curiel has been remanded to the Monroe County Jail on the following charges:
- Rape (while armed with a deadly weapon/threatening the use of deadly force), Level 1 felony
- Escape, Level 5 felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement, Class A misdemeanor
The Bloomington Police Department continues to investigate this case. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the authorities.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
