Asheville police are looking for a suspect in a 2016 sexual assault. Investigators recently identified a suspect in the cold case and charged Juan Jose Bernal-Ramirez with three sexual assault felonies, according to police.
Bernal-Ramirez was charged with first-degree statutory sex offense and two counts of indecent liberties with a minor, according to the department. Detectives with the Family Justice Center led the investigation and filed charges with the Buncombe County Attorney’s Office.
The Asheville Police Department said it “commends the brave survivor who came forward, enabling investigators to revisit and ultimately resolve this case.”
The department urges anyone with additional information about Bernal-Ramirez’s whereabouts to contact the Asheville Police Department. They also said, “anyone who may have been a victim or has information related to a similar incident to contact The Buncombe County Family Justice Center.”
Police described Bernal-Ramirez as “a one-legged man who appears to walk normally with the use of a prosthesis” and “as a Hispanic male, 5’5”, 220 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a distinctive scar on his right forearm.” The suspect has not been arrested yet, the police said.