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San Marcos Police searched for Keith Vallen Louis III at the 100 block of Crest Dr. on Thursday. Police were unable to find Louis. He was later arrested in Austin on Friday. Daily Record Photo by Gerald Castillo

Suspect in rape case arrested, police unsure if connected with separate incidents

San Marcos Police
Friday, May 3, 2019

Police arrested Keith Vallen Louis III, who had a warrant out for his arrest in a rape incident that occured Monday at The Edge aparments.

Louis was located and arrested in Austin on Friday by members of the United States Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the FBI Central Texas Violent Crimes Task Force. 

Police received a call Thursday from a resident at The Edge apartment, who heard a woman scream and yell about rape, officials said at a press conference Friday. When police arrived, the woman told them that she had been sexually assaulted on Monday and found the assailant in her apartment Thursday afternoon, causing her to scream. 

Police identified her roommate, Louis, as the suspect and began chasing after him. 

Officers were on scene at the 100 block of Crest Dr. in search of Louis. But San Marcos Police Chief Chase Stapp said they were unable to bring him into custody on Thursday. 

“We were frustratingly close to apprehending (Louis on Thursday),” Stapp said at Friday’s press conference. “We were literally as close to being on his heels as we could be. But, we did not capture him yesterday despite our efforts.”

A separate home invasion and sexual assault occured Thursday at The Retreat apartments. Police received a call at 3:27 p.m. from a female victim, who said she and her roommate had both been taken at gunpoint inside their apartment around 12:30 p.m, officials said. The gunman bound them and proceeded to physically and sexually assault them for about two to three hours. 

Stapp said the crime at The Retreat matched the M.O. of two previous sexual assaults that occurred at The Cottages of San Marcos. The suspect in those crimes was described as a black male in his 20s with an athletic build, approximately six feet tall and was seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants, black gloves, black socks, black slide sandals. 

Stapp said Louis had been running in sandals and retrieved one. But police cannot confirm if Louis is responsible for the three previous incidents. 

“The obvious question is whether or not we are certain that Mr. Louis is the person who has committed all of these crimes, and at this time we cannot say that definitively,” Stapp said, “So, we’re adjusting all investigative leads to determine exactly who is responsible for all of these crimes.”

Louis will be transported to and booked at the Hays County Jail. 

Update:

The investigation has determined that while Louis is connected to the sexual assault at The Edge apartments that occurred Monday and was reported yesterday, he is not connected to the additional three incidents occurring at the Cottages and the Retreat within the last two weeks.

The SMPD strongly urges all residents to stay cautious, lock your doors and windows, and report any suspicious behavior.

SMPD Sketch of assailant

The SMPD  has just released a sketch of the assailant tied to the three sexual assaults. He is described as a black male, approximately 6’2” to 6’3” tall, last seen wearing a long sleeve black shirt, black pants, black gloves and black mask covering his face and hair.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Detective Campbell at 512-753-2312 or dcampbell@sanmarcostx.gov.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666