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    • Suspected serial rapist accused of targeting at least 4 women in Tulsa County
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    Suspected serial rapist accused of targeting at least 4 women in Tulsa County

    Online Niel Posted on

    TULSA, Okla. — Joshua DeCosta is accused of raping four women over an eleven-year period.

    During a multi-agency news conference on Oct. 31, the Tulsa police chief, county sheriff, district attorney and an OSBI spokesman outlined how DNA helped link DaCosta to the crimes.

    Watch the full press conference:

    Tulsa law enforcement holds a press conference to discuss the arrest of the serial rapist

    Sheriff Vic Regalado said the first rape occurred in Tulsa County in 2008, when DeCosta was a teenager.

    “A woman in her 20s went out the back door to let her dog out and was immediately attacked from behind. She was assaulted to the point where she lost consciousness. The victim regained consciousness an hour later and called 911. Evidence was recovered that would later link DeCosta to that rape Due to the fact that she was unconscious during the sexual assault, the victim was unable to identify the assailant today to informed that her aggressor was identified, the pain of this rape took its toll and the victim committed suicide”.

    Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado

    Tulsa police investigated the following three rapes related to DeCosta.

    • A 14-year-old in 2013
    • A 25-year-old in 2015
    • A 14-year-old in 2019

    Police Chief Dennis Larsen credits the victims for coming forward and naming their assailant, as well as DNA evidence for helping investigators.

    For over a decade, the suspect victimized and traumatized several young women. Thanks to the constant advancement of technology and the unwavering dedication of every law enforcement officer across the state who investigated these heinous crimes, this suspect is no longer and will never again harm another innocent victim.

    Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen

    District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said, “You’re looking at a crime that’s probably a potential sentence: up to life in prison.”

    DaCosta was arrested while serving time in a federal prison in Oregon for a rape conviction in 2019. Investigators tell Us on Oct. 29 that he was just days away from being released when they arrested him for the Tulsa County rapes.

    He is currently incarcerated in the David L. Moss Center in Tulsa on an ICE detainer because he is a citizen of Guyana.

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