COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Springs Police have identified the suspect accused of assaulting a woman at Bear Creek Park as Gabriel Valencia. He was once considered a missing at-risk person in Colorado Springs.
Now, he's being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail in Iowa on charges of motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated, which are unrelated to the assault case. He'll soon be heading back to Colorado to face charges.
On June 27, CSPD officers responded to a serious assault at the park when a female reported she was attacked while jogging. The victim sustained serious bodily injury as a result of the assault.
Officers conducted a thorough search of the area but did not find the suspect. During their investigation, they found items belonging to the suspect, including the weapon used in the assault. DNA was recovered from the weapon and used to identify the suspect, 33-year-old Gabriel Valencia.
CSPD learned Valencia was already jailed in Iowa since early July.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Valencia for attempted first degree murder relating to the assault at Bear Creek Park. He is still in custody in Iowa awaiting extradition to Colorado Springs.
