Jose Angel Gomez, 42, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for committing three rapes between July and October 2018. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gomez admitted guilt on January 23 to charges including first-degree sexual abuse while armed, attempted first-degree sexual abuse, and assault with a dangerous weapon. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman also ordered Gomez to lifetime supervised release and registration as a sex offender.
The government presented evidence that Gomez's first attack occurred on July 15, 2018. A 22-year-old victim was assaulted after opening her basement door to him at around 2:40 a.m. He used a knife during the assault but fled when the victim fought back and called 911.
On September 7, 2018, Gomez followed another woman from Fort Totten Metro station into a wooded area where he assaulted her with a knife. She managed to escape after receiving several phone calls on her cell phone, which deterred Gomez.
The third incident took place on October 21, 2018. While waiting for an Uber at the corner of 7th and Longfellow Streets, Northwest, another victim was attacked by Gomez who dragged her into an alley before fleeing.
These assaults were solved through DNA evidence among other methods. After being identified, Gomez was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky on June 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit and Cold Case Unit along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti, Sharon Donovan, and Amy Zubrensky who prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative aimed at solving previously unsolved cases of sexual assault involving adults and juveniles.
