It was less than two weeks ago that Dallas Police Chief David Brown appeared at a press conference to say that, despite the department's initial hopes, they had no idea who raped three women in Lake Highlands over the course of a month. Now, they do.
Officers arrested 30-year-old Cesar Benitez this afternoon following a traffic stop on Central Expressway. He pulled off the freeway at Walnut Hill and into a nearby parking lot, then got out of the car and ran. He didn't get terribly far and, back at DPD headquarters, he reportedly admitted that he had raped all three women.
The arrest comes after an anonymous CrimeStoppers tip fingered Benitez as the possible rapist. On top of his confession, a palm print taken from the March 15 assault proved a match. He's been charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of sexual assault. A third charge could come upon completion of the investigation into the final, March 19 attack.
This isn't Benitez's first run-in with Dallas County law enforcement. He served time for stealing a car and evading arrest in 1999 and has had a couple of vehicle burglary convictions since.
This time, he's unlikely to get back on the street anytime soon. Not unless he can pay his $4.5 million bond.
