Cleveland Rape Suspect Arrested in Massachusetts

Webster Portalatin-Castro, 37, was arrested in Lawrence, Massachusetts, by the U.S. Marshals Service after allegedly raping a minor in Cleveland, Ohio. The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Cleveland Municipal Court on June 3, after Portalatin-Castro fled Ohio and was tracked to the Boston area. The operation involved collaboration among the U.S. Marshals, Massachusetts State Police, local police departments, and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Portalatin-Castro illegally entered the United States in 2023. He is charged as a fugitive from justice and will be arraigned in Massachusetts pending extradition to Ohio. Authorities stressed their ongoing commitment to apprehending violent sexual offenders across state lines.