Accused child rapist who has been on the run for years spotted in Tacoma

TACOMA, WA – An accused child rapist who has been on the run for two years was just discovered in a Tacoma park by the mother of one of the victims, according to investigators.

Juan Steagall-Martinez, 53, is accused of raping and molesting several young girls who lived at the mobile home park where he worked.

The incidents were reported two years ago, but Steagall-Martinez fled before police could arrest him.

He was reportedly spotted sitting in the middle of the day in the middle of the day in Tacoma's Wapato Park for the first time in years.

“The victim’s mother actually spoke to him and discussed the incident. “So we are 100% sure that she spoke to him in the park,” said Sergeant Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. “If you look at the facial features, they are all the same, just slimmed down.”

FOX 13 Seattle obtained probable cause documents two years ago that refute the heinous allegations.

According to the documents, Steagall-Martinez became close to his victims through his role as a handyman at a mobile home park, befriending the little girls' families.

He is then accused of raping a six-year-old girl and molesting two eight-year-old girls.

“Anyone willing to harm children in this way needs to be held accountable,” Moss said.

There is a Tacoma Police Department next to Wapato Park. However, investigators said the suspect managed to escape on a public bus.

Two years ago, investigators believed Steagall-Martinez might have fled the country to Mexico. Now they are asking the community for help to bring him quickly to justice.

“We really have a lot of urgency in this case. We have to take him into custody. This is something we don't trust him with when dealing with other children. We believe he may offend again. “We want to hold him responsible for committing crimes, and we need the public’s help to find him,” Moss said.

Crime Stoppers Tacoma Pierce County is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment.

You can contact the Pierce County Sheriff's Department of Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.

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