JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office are asking additional victims of a suspected serial rapist to come forward following his arrest last Friday.
Joseph Van Eck, 32, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on suspicion of raping at least three women in the county since Aug. 21.
Investigators believe the suspect picked his victims up along Colfax Avenue and drove them to a remote location in the county, where he later raped them, a news release states.
The sheriff’s office said that in partnership with the Lakewood Police Department and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, Eck’s car was identified, which led to his arrest on Sep. 18. He remains in jail on a $1 million cash-only bond for sex assault and kidnapping charges, according to the release.
“Due to the nature of these crimes, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Lakewood Police Department believe there may be more victims,” a JeffCo Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.
Anyone with information about these cases, or who may have been victimized by Van Eck, is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (303) 271-5612 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867.
