Deputies haul in suspect in rapes
Madera County Sheriff’s Department
Carlos Alfonso Bolanos is charged with luring victims on Facebook, then raping them.
A Madera man using a friendly, fake female Facebook profile to allegedly lure, kidnap and repeatedly rape a young girl was arrested Tuesday, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities say Carlos Alfonso Bolanos, 22, confessed to the crimes during the investigation. He has been charged with multiple felony counts for the April 2 kidnapping and rape of a victim under 18 years of age, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years, kidnapping for the purpose of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years, and for making criminal threats.
The young victim was picked up in the city of Madera and driven to a rural area before being raped. The accurate physical description provided by the girl correctly identified the vehicle and Bolanos as a large, dark-complected, Hispanic male in his 20s.
Investigators believe there may be several other young victims, male or female, and are encouraging them to come forward after they discovered Bolanos had created the female profile on line with the name “Maritza Martinez”. The profile promised young girls employment selling fresh fruit at intersections or on rural roadsides to dupe them to willingly get in his dark colored Chevy Astro van and drive with him alone to rural areas. Bolanos would then allegedly threaten to shoot or kill them, or their families before forcing them to undress, and assaulting and raping them. A machete was found in his van,.
Bolanos remains in jail. Anyone with information on this incident, or who may have had contact with Bolanos, is asked to call the Madera County Sheriff’s Department at 675-7770.
