St. Charles Parish deputies are working a multi-parish search for a 41-year-old Metairie man wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Paradis, after investigators say he ran from officers and was later spotted in Slidell.
According to WWL-TV, the suspect has been identified as Hugo Lopez-Martinez, 41, of Metairie. He is wanted on charges that include second-degree rape, battery of a dating partner and theft. Deputies told the station that Lopez-Martinez fled after officers attempted to arrest him and was last seen in Slidell wearing a black tank top and black shorts. Authorities describe him as about 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds. The reported assault took place Saturday in the 14000 block of Old Spanish Trail in Paradis, according to the outlet.
How to help
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Garrett Haun with the Criminal Investigations Division at 985-783-1135, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office says. Residents with Ring, door-camera or dash-cam footage from the area are urged to check recordings for anything that might help the investigation. Officials say tips could help narrow the search as deputies work with neighboring agencies.
Where the incident happened
Investigators say the reported assault occurred in the 14000 block of Old Spanish Trail in Paradis, a riverbank community in St. Charles Parish. WWL-TV reports deputies were dispatched to that block and that the suspect fled before he could be taken into custody. St. Charles Parish deputies and neighboring St. Tammany agencies are coordinating searches in the Slidell area, where officials say he was last seen.
Legal note
Lopez-Martinez remains wanted on alleged charges and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is active, and anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the sheriff's office immediately.
