Authorities say Paul Sandoval, 62, had been avoiding prosecution since March 2021, when he learned a warrant was out for his arrest.

ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colorado — After more than four years on the run, a fugitive accused of raping a young girl was arrested Sunday in southeastern Colorado.

Authorities say Paul Sandoval, 62, had been avoiding prosecution since March 2021, when he learned a warrant was out for his arrest. Sandoval is accused of tying up an 8-year-old girl with a rope and violently raping her in a shed on his property that year, according to a release from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

This week, the U.S. Marshals Service in Colorado, along with the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, announced they were conducting a large-scale manhunt for Sandoval near Blanca Peak. Five days later, on Sunday afternoon, the USMS announced that Sandoval was in custody.

More than 70 officers from multiple agencies at the federal, state and local levels participated in the search for Sandoval, the USMS said.

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