Police tracked rape suspect for days
By Norman Miller/Daily News Staff
Saturday, May 12, 2007

FRAMINGHAM - A Framingham man accused of raping a woman while his friend held a knife to her throat in Ashland last month did not pick her out at random, police said yesterday.

Rather, Edwin Alexander Landaverde, 26, knew her from when he tried to kindle a relationship with the now 18-year-old woman when she was just 14 and hung out at the Natick mall, Ashland Police Detective Gregory Fawkes said.

"It sounded like he used to go to the mall, trolling for young girls," said Fawkes. "There had been some sort of relationship. He claimed it was sexual, but when the family found out, they ended it. Without ever calling the police, the brother got wind of it and went over there and took care of it himself."

Ashland Police arrested Landaverde on Thursday at a Fountain Street apartment where they say he had been hiding since his alleged accomplice, William Martinez, 28, was arrested on Monday.

The woman and Landaverde had not seen each other in years until the alleged rape on April 26 in the Market Basket parking lot on Pond Street, Fawkes said.

"It appears to be an opportunistic crime," he said. "They saw her and took advantage. It's pretty bad. Scary stuff."

The woman identified her attacker only as "Alex," and police tracked him to an area in Framingham where many natives of El Salvador live, Fawkes said. Martinez and Landaverde are both from El Salvador.

In Framingham, police questioned several people and developed Landaverde as a suspect, but they could not find him at his Franklin Street apartment, despite several visits.

"A neighbor said (Landaverde) was very nervous and he had been hiding out in someone's basement for the past three days, and he was packing up his belongings to flee to New York City," Fawkes said.

Police set up surveillance on the hideout and saw Landaverde pull up. They confronted him, Fawkes said, but he denied any involvement in the incident and said his name was Edwin, not Alex.

It was Landaverde's girlfriend who unwittingly gave him up, Fawkes said.

"While we were talking to him, we saw his girlfriend come out of the house and I asked her, 'Are you Alex's girlfriend?' and she said 'Yes,' " said Fawkes. "He then said, 'My middle name is Alex, but my name is Edwin.' "

Police took a picture of Landaverde, and the alleged victim identified him in a photo array, which led to his arrest.

In Framingham District Court yesterday, prosecutor Kristen Noto said Landaverde and his passenger, Martinez, were driving about 7 p.m. on April 26 when they saw the woman walking through the grocery store parking lot.

They pulled over and Martinez got out of the car and asked the young woman to come to the car to speak to Landaverde. When she refused, Martinez grabbed her by the throat and dragged her to the car at knifepoint.

Once in the car, Martinez held the knife to the woman's throat while Landaverde raped her, Noto said. The attack only stopped after others drove by the car.

"This defendant ordered her to put her clothes on and get out of the car" after the assault, Noto said.

Landaverde is charged with aggravated rape, indecent assault and battery on a person older than 14, assault with the intent to rape and kidnapping.

Noto asked Judge Paul Healy Jr. to set the same $50,000 bail Martinez was ordered held on after his arraignment on Tuesday.

"The potential punishment is so significant it provides a potential flight risk," she said.

But, Landaverde's lawyer, Kenneth Gross, said he was "incredulous" about the allegations and argued that his client should be released without bail.

"There are inconsistencies in this girl's stories," said Gross. "The fact she failed to tell the police she had a prior relationship with this man is telling. How I see it, two things could have occurred. She either fabricated this whole story - it's an incredible story - or something happened that was consensual.

"One should be incredulous in reading this report that this action actually occurred."

Healy ordered Landaverde held on the $50,000 bail, and he is due back in court June 6 for a probable cause hearing.

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