Fairfax County Authorities are unable – or perhaps unwilling – to say where rapist Navarette Romero is. In WJLA’s report below, Fairfax County Sheriff Office would only say he is no longer in their custody.

Where is Romero? Has he been deported? Or is he now roaming free?

This article originally appeared here, at wjla.com

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — A man accused of raping a woman on a trail in Herndon has been found incompetent to stand trial during a hearing on Tuesday.

Denis Humberto Navarette Romero will have another hearing in December to determine whether he has been “restored to competency,” according to the Fairfax County prosecutors’ office.

Navarette Romero is accused of attacking a woman along the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail in Herndon in November 2024.

According to Fairfax County court documents and other documents obtained by WJLA through a public records request, the victim was walking home when Romero allegedly pulled her into the bushes at the edge of the W&OD trail and raped her. It is a crime that shook the Town of Herndon and the surrounding communities because families and individuals who use the popular trail consider it safe.

The victim and police officers found Navarette Romero in a parking lot in the 700 block of Station Street, where police said he had property belonging to the victim.

7News previously reported that Navarette Romero is a Honduran national, he’s in the U.S. illegally, and was arrested repeatedly before this incident occurred. Last year, ICE told 7News they filed an immigration detainer against Navarette Romero.

Court documents also said Navarette Romero has been accused of several crimes in the past, including sex crimes in D.C., resisting arrest in D.C. and Virginia — he’s been accused of assaults, battery, trespassing, using a stolen vehicle, weapon violations, drinking and smoking marijuana in public, loitering, and incident exposure.

As of Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office said Navarette Romero is no longer in their custody. 7News is trying to find out where he is and will share updates when they become available.