The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office in the US state of Oklahoma held a press conference on Thursday to discuss charges against a Guyanese man who is suspected of raping multiple women and teen girls in Tulsa County over an 11-year period.
According to Fox23 News, multiple law enforcement agencies worked alongside the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office to connect these cases.
The suspect in these cases was identified as Joshua Dacosta, a man originally from Guyana living illegally in the United States.
The Fox23 News report said that Dacosta is suspected of allegedly raping four Tulsa women, a 20 year old in 2008, a 14 year old in 2013, a 25 year old in 2015 and another 14 year old in 2019.
“When you’re talking about a suspect that has committed these type of crimes, the number one objective for everybody is to get this person off the street and behind bars,” said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) spokesperson Hunter McKee.
After being charged for the 2019 case, Dacosta was sent to Oregon’s Federal Prison, the report said.
The victim in the 2019 case gave birth to a child and through a search warrant for a paternity test, investigators were able to enter Dacosta’s DNA into the national database.
The DNA was then matched to three unsolved rape cases.
Out of the four cases, deputies are hoping to file first-degree rape charges for the 2013 and 2019 cases.
The victim in the 2015 case is not cooperating at this time and the victim in the 2008 case has since died by suicide, the report said.
“Tragically, the mental and physical pain of this rape took its toll and the victim committed suicide several years later. Although she will not be present to see justice take its course, due to the efforts of law enforcement, her voice will still be heard,” said Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado.
During the press conference, Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen acknowledged the strength and bravery it takes for victims to come forward.
“Coming forward, naming an abuser and sharing the details of such atrocities that occurred to some of these young ladies, it’s incredibly difficult. It requires immense courage on the victim’s part. I’m incredibly proud of these young people for their bravery and assisting in the investigation and ensuring this predator remains behind bars”, he was quoted as saying in the report.
“We will use every tool, all the man power we need to bring these types of horrible, just horrible, crimes to justice”, he said.
Tulsa District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said law enforcement is here to help, even when it takes time.
“[We] want victims in this community to understand your voice is heard. We will pursue, and if we can, bring justice. We will. Sometimes it just takes a while.”
Fox23 has previously reported on law enforcement agencies, such as Tulsa Police, testing rape kits that were not originally tested for various reasons.
As the testing is being carried out, DNA evidence is entered into the national database, which is how cases like these are being solved years later, the report said.
Regalado stated Dacosta is being held by ICE in the Tulsa County Jail because he’s not a citizen of the United States.
