Law enforcement officials arrested an alleged serial rapist, often referred to as the “College Park Cuddler” or “Georgetown Cuddler,” who is possibly connected to multiple sexual assault cold cases in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Officials announced the arrest of 54-year-old Ernesto Ramon Mercado at a press conference on Wednesday. He was arrested the previous night near his home in Arlington, Virginia.
“Our detectives never gave up and today’s announcement speaks to their unending commitment to bring justice to our victims,” Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia Pamela A. Smith said at the press conference.
Ernesto Ramon Mercado, shown in 2019 and 2010, was arrested on multiple charges related to several sexual assault cold cases. The assaults took place between 2006 and 2012.
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
Detective Alexander MacBean condemned the suspect’s widely used nickname.
“Over the years, this term has only caused more harm to our victims,” MacBean said. “This man is a predator, and his intent was not to cuddle these women, but instead his intent was to rape them.”
Between 2006 and 2012, several female college students and recent graduates reported being sexually assaulted in their Georgetown area homes while they were asleep. Multiple victims claimed they woke up to a stranger touching them.
“For the past 16 years, our sexual assault unit detectives have continued to follow up on leads and connect these cases together, looking for patterns, evidence and especially a suspect,” Smith said.
Investigators were able to connect six of these incidents to Mercado using DNA from rape kits and evidence from the crime scenes. Five of the assaults happened in the Georgetown and Glover Park area in D.C. and one happened near the University of Maryland College Park.
All six victims lived in off-campus housing, and they were all assaulted at night.
Officials said the cases allegedly involved stalking, peeping tom-type activities and taking advantage of sleeping and intoxicated victims with the intent of raping them.
Mercado appeared in court on Wednesday on three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances and five counts of second-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances.
He faces life in prison if convicted.
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves said investigators are looking into other unsolved sexual assault cases.
“We will continue to investigate the many unsolved similar crimes that occurred in the same time frame and area as these charged offenses,” Graves said.
Anyone with additional information on these incidents or Mercado is being asked to contact 202-727-9099.
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