Man arrested after 14 years for raping and impregnating stepdaughter

After 14 years on the run, Alberto Martín de Valle, 56, has been arrested in Florencio Varela, Argentina. He is accused of raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter in 2009 in Puan, leaving her pregnant. Provincial police sources confirmed that DNA tests verified the suspect's paternity.

The investigation, initiated by the 12th Prosecutor's Office of Bahía Blanca, also indicated that the accused had taken the girl to Buenos Aires for an abortion that was never performed. An arrest warrant had been active for Del Valle since the case began, but he evaded capture for over a decade.

On Sunday, members of the Group of Departmental Support (GAD) of Quilmes located the fugitive during a raid on an apartment complex. He was intercepted as he left the building and provided a false identity when questioned. Investigators had long suspected Del Valle was living under various assumed names, including Martín Morales and Martín Lescano, and using nicknames like "Java" and "Jabalí."

The victim's sister and plaintiff in the case, Yamila Segovia, told TN that investigators were pursuing two leads, one in Mar de Ajó and another in the Bosques area. "We've had several negative operations, so we just had to trust," she said. The accused's name had recently resurfaced due to the victim's family's persistent efforts, and the Ministry of Security had offered a 10 million peso reward for information leading to his capture.

An Instagram account, @alerta-búsqueda_activa, created by the victim's family, posted, "You will pay for everything you have done, you took away a childhood and the pain of a family awaits you in the earthly court of justice." The case is being handled by prosecutor Leila Scabarda and Judge Claudia Olivera.