A Bel Air man with an active ICE warrant is behind bars after what authorities describe as a yearlong hunt that ended in his arrest on nine counts tied to the alleged rape and sexual abuse of a middle school girl.
The suspect, 32-year-old Yerlis Efrain Alvarez-Alvarez, was taken into custody earlier this month and is being held in Harford County as the case moves through local courts.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Alvarez-Alvarez was arrested without incident around 6:15 a.m. at a residence off S. Tollgate Road in Bel Air, then transported to the Harford County Detention Center. According to a U.S. Marshals Service press release, he is charged with three counts each of second-degree rape, sexual abuse of a minor, and third-degree sex offense.
Court documents state the alleged abuse occurred between 2021 and 2024, covering the period when the girl was in middle school. CBS Baltimore reports Alvarez-Alvarez is being held without bond while prosecutors prepare formal filings.
What authorities said
Investigators say the arrest wrapped up a 12-month fugitive investigation involving the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
"As alleged, Yerlis Efrain Alvarez Alvarez preyed on children and other vulnerable members of our community," Akil Baldwin, special agent in charge for HSI Maryland, said in the Marshals’ release.
Legal status and next steps
Officials say Alvarez-Alvarez is an undocumented national from El Salvador who is under a final order of removal and had an active immigration warrant at the time of his arrest.
The Office of the Public Defender, which is representing him, declined to comment on the case, according to reporting by the Baltimore Sun cited by Fox Baltimore.
Prosecutors in Harford County will set the formal charging documents and court schedule. For now, Alvarez-Alvarez remains in custody, and the investigation is ongoing. This story will be updated as additional court records and official statements are released.
