Man suspected in Whatcom County rape that occurred more than 9 years earlier
A Whatcom County man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of a 2012 rape of a woman that occurred near Birch Bay State Park.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Joshua Robert Duran, 33, into Whatcom County Jail Sept. 2 on suspicion of second-degree rape.
Law enforcement first responded May 23, 2012, to St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham to take a rape report, according to documents filed this week in Whatcom County Superior Court.
They spoke to the victim, who reported that at approximately 4:39 a.m. May 22, 2012, she was hanging out with an acquaintance, documents state, when another friend that the victim only knew by his first name called and asked if she wanted to hang out with him and another friend named “Josh.”
The victim said yes, and the friend, Duran and an unknown woman arrived later in a Honda Civic, according to documents, and the four of them drove to Birch Bay.
They parked at an apartment building on Birch Bay drive near the state park, and the friend and unknown woman exited the car, documents state.
It was then that victim reported Duran raped her, documents state. The victim told police that she tried to get away, but Duran was too strong.
Upon returning to Bellingham, the victim went to the hospital and had a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination completed and police were contacted, documents state.
Approximately six months later, the DNA collected in the sexual assault kit was matched to Duran as a contributor, according to documents.
After Duran was contacted by police in Seattle on March 8, 2021, a swab of Duran’s DNA was taken to confirm, documents state, and the DNA matched.
A warrant out of Whatcom County Superior Court was signed for Duran’s arrest on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
Court records show Duran was convicted of theft and assault in a 2015 incident in Whatcom County. He also has previous convictions for assault, vehicular assault, witness tampering, theft, possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance in Chelan and Okanogan counties.
