Man serving sentence in Texas indicted for string of sexual assaults in New Bedford
DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WLNE) — A man currently serving a prison sentence in Texas was indicted for a string of sexual assaults in New Bedford almost nine years ago.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said Wednesday that four women were brutally assaulted by Orlando Robles, 47, from June to July of 2013.
After the fourth assault, police were able to review surveillance footage from a video camera that had allegedly captured Robles running away and getting into a Ford Ranger pick-up truck.
Investigators also obtained surveillance from several businesses in the downtown area.
The blue pick-up truck with Texas license plates lined up with the description the four women told investigators, said Quinn.
When questioned by police, Robles denied all allegations against him.
During his interview, the 47-year-old told authorities that he was a resident of Rockport, a small town near Corpus Christi, and was in the New Bedford area working as a scallop fisherman.
Investigators later learned that that Robles had lived at a Dartmouth home, but fled to Texas within hours of his interview.
New Bedford police called the Corpus Christi Police Department and found that Robles had four similar incidents.
In New Bedford, Robles is being charged with the following:
- Three counts of rape
- Two counts of assault with intent to rape
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14
- Two counts of assault and battery
- One count of use of a motor vehicle during a felony
In all four cases, Quinn said police found similarities: rapid approach by a stranger, followed by the almost immediate use of violent force, followed by an attempt to rape the woman, and fleeing the scene.
The district attorney’s office said they will be obtaining a warrant against Robles to complete their investigation.
He will become eligible for parole in the Texas case sometime in 2023.
