WEST OCEAN CITY — A Dominican Republican national was arrested on rape charges this week after an investigation connected him to an alleged sexual assault at a West Ocean City residence last Friday.
Last Friday, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in West Ocean City for a reported rape. The investigation was turned over to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI). The 19-year-old victim described to detectives what had happened to her and she was taken to the hospital for a rape test kit. The victim is a foreign national working in Worcester County on a J-1 visa.
The suspect was identified as Victor Ramon Checco-Penna and was later found. Checco-Penna is described as roughly 26 years old and is also not a citizen of the U.S. He is from the Dominican Republic and is also working in Worcester on a J-1 visa. A Maryland State Police trooper assisted as an interpreter during the investigation. Several search warrants and translated interviews were conducted over the next several days during the investigation.
On Wednesday, based on the translated interviews with both the victim and the suspect, Checco-Penna was arrested and charged with second-degree rape, fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault. During a bond review hearing on Thursday, Checco-Penna was ordered to be held on a $25,000 bond.
WCBI was assisted during the investigation by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, the Berlin Police Department, the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.