Jose Angel Gomez, 42, has pleaded guilty to several charges related to three sexual assaults that took place in Washington D.C. between July and October 2018. These incidents involved different victims who were strangers to him. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the plea.
Gomez admitted guilt for one count of first-degree sexual abuse while armed, one count of first-degree sexual abuse, one count of attempted first-degree sexual abuse, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. He faces a potential prison sentence ranging from 25 ½ to 35 years as part of the plea agreement, pending approval by Judge Todd Edelman of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. Sentencing is set for April 4, 2025.
The details of each attack were recounted during proceedings. On July 15, 2018, Gomez assaulted a 22-year-old woman in her home after she returned from a night out. Armed with a knife, he forced her to the ground but she managed to escape after kicking him and called emergency services.
On September 7, Gomez followed his second victim from the Fort Totten Metro station into a wooded area where he attacked her at knifepoint. The incident ended when her phone rang repeatedly and Gomez fled.
The third attack occurred on October 21 as another woman waited for an Uber early in the morning. Gomez approached her and later assaulted her in an alleyway after dragging her there against her will.
These crimes were solved using DNA evidence among other investigative tools. Gomez was arrested on June 7, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky and transported back to Washington D.C., where he has been held since then.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department's Sexual Assault Unit and Cold Case Unit along with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Prosecutors Marco Crocetti, Sharon Donovan, and Amy Zubrensky led the case against Gomez.
This prosecution is part of an initiative launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office aimed at solving cold cases involving sexual assault through collaboration with various law enforcement agencies including local police departments and federal entities like the FBI and United States Marshal’s Service.