CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) - A man who was deported after he was arrested on rape charges in 2018 has been extradited back to the United States.
7News captured video of federal agents handing over Werner Orozco to Coral Gables Police at Opa-Locka Executive Airport, Friday.
“It was very regrettable for the victim to think that he was in custody and then he was free, so now, we have to make it up to her,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said. “Now he’s back here, and he’s not going to get away. He’s going to go to court, he’s going to be held responsible and he’s going to be processed, and we’re going to get justice for this rape victim.”
Orozco was originally arrested on Sept. 11, 2018 on charges that he raped a woman in Coral Gables. However, 13 days after his arrest, he was picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported to his native Guatemala.
The state attorney’s office said he was deported without their knowledge or the knowledge of police or the victim.
“In the end, he was not able to escape, and now, even though it’s a year later, here we are ready to proceed in our case against him,” Fernandez Rundle said.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, Orozco traveled from Guatemala through Panama and ultimately ended up in the Bahamas, where he was employed as a bartender at a local tourist spot.
Various law enforcement agencies were able to track him down and take him into custody.
Orozco is accused of raping a woman he knew on Aug. 12, 2018. According to a police report, after going out together and returning to the victim’s residence, Orzoco assaulted the woman in her kitchen.
According to the arrest report, “the defendant pinned her against the kitchen countertop and sexually battered her against her will.”
Court documents said “the victim screamed and told the defendant to stop, but the defendant continued.”
Officials said Orozco denied the allegations, claiming he only massaged the woman’s arms and legs.
“For over a year, this victim has been waiting for some kind of justice,” Fernandez Rundle said. “Now, he’s back here, and he’s not going to get away.”
The state attorney said the victim has been notified that Orozco has been returned to South Florida. He currently faces charges of sexual assault.
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