CHICAGO, IL – A 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant, known as both Elvis Hernandez-Pernalete and Luis Guevara, has been accused of sexual assault on the University of Illinois Chicago campus earlier this month.
The man allegedly trailed a woman from the UIC-Halsted Blue Line Station around 8 p.m. on March 16, attempting to seize her from behind. He is then said to have stolen the woman’s personal items and sexually assaulted her before making his escape. The woman was not affiliated with the university as a student or employee, according to campus police.
City Alderman Ray Lopez expressed his concerns about individuals in the city who are not thoroughly vetted. He emphasized the need for better coordination with the federal government in identifying and vetting migrant asylum seekers, to understand their criminal history and potential risks they may pose.
Court documents reveal that Hernandez-Pernalete is also accused of attacking a second woman, whom he had followed from a train station. He faces charges of criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery and strangulation, robbery, and attempted robbery.
Earlier in March, Hernandez-Pernalete was reportedly observed shoplifting from a T.J. Maxx store. A judge denied his pretrial release on Thursday, citing his “pattern of attacking victims from trains.”