Man Apparently Fitting 'East-Side Rapist' Description Questioned In Jogger Homicide
POSTED: Friday, June 13, 2008
UPDATED: 3:22 pm EDT June 13,
2008
 |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A 19-year-old taken into custody late Thursday who apparently fits the description of the "east-side rapist" will be questioned in the case of a slain jogger, Local 6 has learned.
Map Of Attacks | Garcia Mug Shots
University of Central Florida graduate student Nicole Ganguzza, 26, was attacked while she was jogging this week and killed near the Econ Trail, investigators said. Ganguzza's body was found about 24 hours after she vanished.Late Thursday, sex crimes detectives arrested Clemente Garcia , 19, for a rape that happened in September 2007, Local 6 learned.DNA was recovered in the case and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it returned a match linking the rape to Garcia.In the 2007 case, the victim was walking to a friend's home around the Econ Trail when she as raped and beaten in an area near the Colonial Pointe apartments.The victim told investigators that her attacker fit the description of the "east-side rapist," Local 6 reported.Investigators have attributed at least two attacks in the same area where Ganguzza's body was found to the "east-side rapist." One of the attacks happened on the Econ Trail near Fryland and another in the area of Dean Road and River Park Boulevard.Now, detectives are trying to determine if Garcia is linked to Ganguzza's homicide."We don't know (if cases are linked)," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Rich Mankewich said. "Obviously, homicide is going to be interest in speaking with him. Any arrest that we make in the next couple of days, we are going to be interested in speaking to these people. We definitely don't want to be taking away from people calling in tips still. Even though we have this person in custody, we have no evidence linking him to this case."Detectives have not said if Ganguzza was raped and have not said how she was killed.However, investigators said the killer likely frequented Blanchard Park and he probably has scratches and bruises on his body from dragging Ganguzza's body through some woods.
Map Of Attacks | Garcia Mug Shots University of Central Florida graduate student Nicole Ganguzza, 26, was attacked while she was jogging this week and killed near the Econ Trail, investigators said. Ganguzza's body was found about 24 hours after she vanished.Late Thursday, sex crimes detectives arrested Clemente Garcia , 19, for a rape that happened in September 2007, Local 6 learned.DNA was recovered in the case and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it returned a match linking the rape to Garcia.In the 2007 case, the victim was walking to a friend's home around the Econ Trail when she as raped and beaten in an area near the Colonial Pointe apartments.The victim told investigators that her attacker fit the description of the "east-side rapist," Local 6 reported.Investigators have attributed at least two attacks in the same area where Ganguzza's body was found to the "east-side rapist." One of the attacks happened on the Econ Trail near Fryland and another in the area of Dean Road and River Park Boulevard.Now, detectives are trying to determine if Garcia is linked to Ganguzza's homicide."We don't know (if cases are linked)," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Rich Mankewich said. "Obviously, homicide is going to be interest in speaking with him. Any arrest that we make in the next couple of days, we are going to be interested in speaking to these people. We definitely don't want to be taking away from people calling in tips still. Even though we have this person in custody, we have no evidence linking him to this case."Detectives have not said if Ganguzza was raped and have not said how she was killed.However, investigators said the killer likely frequented Blanchard Park and he probably has scratches and bruises on his body from dragging Ganguzza's body through some woods.
Family Speaks
Meanwhile, members of the Ganguzza family spoke to the public for the first time Thursday night."If you know anything or can help in any way, please, I just ask you to help my wife," husband Brendan Ganguzza said. "I just love her and I miss her. I just don't know what to say. I lost my heart. I love her so much.""My daughter was a beautiful, vivacious woman," mother Eileen Alexander said. "She had a wonderful life with a wonderful man. She gave back so much to this community."Detectives Scour Running Trail
The search for the killer has been intense in an area surrounding where Ganguzza's body was found.Detectives were passing out fliers with information about the crime to people exercising in the area Thursday night.Officers said they hoped someone saw something unusual at about 6 p.m. Tuesday night."She is gone now," Alexander said. "I'm not angry or bitter, but I just don't want this person to do this to anyone else."Ganguzza Was Newlywed
Ganguzza was a marriage and family counselor who was pursuing a master's degree.She was also a newlywed."I just want to ask anybody with any kind of information that could help us to please come forward," Alexander said.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Previous Stories:
- June 12, 2008: Missing Jogger Found Dead In Same Area Of 'East-Side Rapist' Attacks
- June 11, 2008: Missing UCF Student Found Dead
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