Joliet Illegal Immigrant Guilty Of I&M Canal Rapes

JOLIET, IL - A dangerous man who was living in Joliet illegally was escorted into Will County Courtroom 405 on Wednesday afternoon under the careful eye of Will County Sheriff's deputies assigned to courtroom security. Utilizing the services of a courtroom interpreter, Miguel Luna, now 37, pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual assault for raping women on the I&M Canal path near Joliet. Judge David Carlson set sentencing for July 16. Luna lived in the 1400 block of Winifred Street in Joliet at the time of his crimes, according to the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

Luna has remained in the Will County jail since May 22, 2016. He is being held without any bail.

Will County State's Attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie said Luna was accused of assaulting three women on the I&M trail, but charges in one of those case were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea. "The third victim, ... recently died, and the charges related to her case were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea in the other two cases," Pelkie said in a statement Thursday. "It is important to note that the investigation into the third victim’s case is what led police to identify Luna as the attacker in all three sexual assaults."

According to prosecutors, Luna attacked his first victim on Sept. 6, 2015 between Brandon Road and Larkin Avenue. He jumped off a bike, tackled the woman from behind, dragged her into the woods, and tied her up. He raped his victim during the more than 90 minutes he held her captive, prosecutors said.

Then Luna struck again around 8 a.m. May 21, 2016. That victim was running along the Frontage Road near Interstate 55. That morning, Luna wore sunglasses, a ski mask, surgical gloves as he grabbed the woman from behind and put her into a choke hold, prosecutors say. Luna raped her under the I-55 viaduct.

Ultimately, Luna was captured as a result of a rape investigation involving a third woman. "The defendant, who also knew this woman’s friend, tied up his victim and sexually assaulted her in a secluded area near Brandon Road. The victim’s friend later identified Luna for police," prosecutors revealed Wednesday.

Luna's DNA also tied him to the first two rapes by the I&M path, according to prosecutors.

“Miguel Luna is in this country illegally. This ruthlessly violent sexual predator should never have had the opportunity to brutally prey upon these innocent young women,” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said in Wednesday's statement announcing the guilty plea.

“He terrorized our community by repeatedly committing the most vicious sexual assaults against unsuspecting women in an historic area that people from throughout the region safely enjoy for recreation.”

Glasgow praised Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Fillipitch for obtaining the Joliet man's guilty plea.

Luna faces between 32 and 80 years in prison when he is sentenced two months from now.

ORIGINAL STORY: Rape Victim Helps Police Catch Violent Attacker

Mugshots of Miguel Luna via Will County State's Attorney's Office