A 29-year-old Wheaton man charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault will remain in jail after a DuPage County judge denied his pre-trial release Wednesday, July 22.

Abel Rosales Ventura, of the 1300 block of North Main Street, appeared in First Appearance Court facing Class X felony charges, which carry a prison sentence of six to 30 years with no probation eligible upon conviction. Judge Joshua Dieden granted the state's motion to hold him without release.

The case surfaced during an unrelated traffic stop. On Sunday, June 21, at approximately 3:25 p.m., a Wheaton police officer stopped a vehicle and the woman inside disclosed she had been hit by a friend, later identified as Rosales Ventura. Officers escorted her to his apartment to retrieve her six-year-old son, then to a local hospital, where she told staff she had also been sexually assaulted.

Investigators determined the alleged assault began the evening before. Between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, the victim arrived at Rosales Ventura's apartment, where he allegedly threw her on a bed, tried to block her nose and mouth, and grabbed her by the neck until she lost consciousness. Her six-year-old son was in the apartment at the time, according to the announcement from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

At approximately 4 a.m., Rosales Ventura allegedly took the woman and her son to his car, took her cell phone, and sexually assaulted her while the boy sat in the back seat.

After learning of the investigation, Rosales Ventura fled Illinois. DuPage County Judge Robert Walsh issued an arrest warrant with no geographical limitations on Tuesday, June 23. Two days later, on Thursday, June 25, officers with the Morristown Police Department in Tennessee located him at a trailer park and took him into custody.

Rosales Ventura remained jailed in Tennessee until he waived extradition. The DuPage County Sheriff's Office then transported him back to DuPage County.

"You can run, you can hide, but we will find you and deliver you to the justice of the courts," Wheaton Police Chief P.J. Youker said.

Youker said the case began as a simple request for assistance from a patrol officer but quickly evolved into a complex investigation. The Wheaton Police Department, the FBI, the DuPage County Sheriff's Office, the Morristown Police Department, and the Hamblen County Sheriff's Office all contributed to the apprehension. State's Attorney Robert Berlin credited Assistant State's Attorney Jaclyn McAndrew with securing the charges.

A future court date has been set before Judge Brian Telander.

Rosales Ventura is presumed innocent. The charges are not proof of guilt, and the state must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with information related to this case can contact the Wheaton Police Department at 630-260-2161.