WARNING: Some details in this article may be graphic to readers.
(ALAMOSA, Colo.) — After a five-day multi-agency manhunt in Southern Colorado, the U.S. Marshals Service announced that Paul Sandoval, a suspect wanted for the sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl in 2021, was found on Blanca Peak and arrested on Sunday, Oct. 12, around 10:20 a.m., following four years on the run.
U.S. Marshals reported that 62-year-old Sandoval allegedly tied up an 8-year-old girl in a shed on his property and sexually assaulted her on March 15, 2021. He went into hiding in the mountains when a warrant was issued for his arrest four days later by the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office.
In late August of 2025, he was identified when he broke into a vehicle and a house in Alamosa County. Surveillance devices spotted him in the area and confirmed his identity, and that he was armed with a rifle.
The Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office reported that after receiving new intelligence, investigators determined that Sandoval had been hiding in a remote area of the mountains. Law enforcement navigated difficult terrain while searching for the fugitive and finally found him, despite challenging conditions. When Sandoval refused to comply with law enforcement, less-lethal means were used to safely take him into custody, without serious injury to him or any officer involved.
“This arrest brings closure to a four-year search for a dangerous fugitive,” said Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson. “The terrain was not easy, and the conditions made this operation especially difficult.”
According to the U.S. Marshals, the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) and the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office led a team of over 70 law enforcement officers from several federal, state, and local agencies that located Sandoval and took him into custody near Lake Como Road on Blanca Peak in Southern Colorado.
“We want to express our gratitude and thanks to the U.S. Marshals Service and all of the other agencies involved that came to assist in this manhunt. We couldn’t have done it without their help,” said Sheriff Jackson.
According to the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office, Sandoval is being held at the Alamosa County Jail, pending transfer and further judicial proceedings.
About The Author
