QUANTICO, Va. –
A Soldier assigned to the 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade is in pre-trial confinement suspected of multiple sexual assaults on Fort Hood, Texas.
According to Special Agent-in-Charge Maria Thomas, Central Texas Field Office, Army Criminal Investigation Division, the 29-year-old suspect was detained Oct. 2 upon entering the gate to the installation after an alleged sexual assault of a fellow Soldier. The subject is suspected to be linked to previous assaults.
In July, Army CID Special Agents discovered commonalities among unresolved investigations, but could not definitively link the crimes. At that time, CID, III Armored Corps, and Directorates of Emergency Services and Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Hood took a comprehensive approach to reinforce safety and security on the installation.
“Fort Hood and III Armored Corps will continue to implement initiatives begun over the last eighteenmonths to ensure a safe and secure environment for all of our Soldiers, Family Members and civilians at Fort Hood,” said Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding general, Fort Hood and III Armored Corps. “We are thankful for the hard work of the Criminal Investigation Division and the Soldiers who assisted in apprehending this suspect.”
These initiatives included safety briefings, education on how and when to report suspicious activity, women’s self-defense classes, command directed inspections of barracks to ensure proper safety equipment and procedures and the implementation of various investigative tools that ultimately assisted in the identification of the subject.
“We continue to work with leaders throughout Fort Hood to build on safety awareness and we will pursue any incidents of sexual assault,” said Thomas. “Army CID thoroughly investigates every report of alleged felony-level sexual misconduct and follows every lead available.”
To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, Army CID will not release any further information at this time.