By Mindy Gould on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HINES(Released by Kennewick Police Department)-Protecting our children will always be a priority. Recently our patrol officers initiated a child rape investigation. The suspect, 35-year-old Jose Luis Guarnizo-Guzman, quickly fled when confronted prior to police involvement. Based on investigative efforts it was believed Jose was fleeing the state. KPD Detectives were called in to assist and worked closely with the Benton County Prosecutorโs Office to get a nationwide extraditable warrant issued.
Due to safety concerns for the victim and family KPD officers used the KPD Foundationโs community care fund to house them temporarily and ensure no further contact by the suspect. The community care fund has been and continues to be a huge asset to our officers and their ability to help those in need in the community.
Thanks to assistance from the FBI, Clackamas County Sheriffโs Office and Oregon State Police, we were able to locate Jose in the state of Oregon. Jose fled and began a vehicle pursuit with the Oregon State Police who received support from the Burns Police Department and Harney County Sheriffโs Office as they attempted to take him into custody. The pursuit ended in a crash and ultimately Jose was taken into custody near Hines, Oregon. Jose was booked into jail on Oregon charges and the warrant for this investigation. He is awaiting extradition back to Washington.
From the time the incident was reported until Jose was in custody was within 24 hours. Teamwork across units within KPD, the Prosecutorโs Office, the FBI, the Clackamas County Sheriffโs Office, Oregon State Police and supporting agencies all made this apprehension possible. We value partnerships for this very reason as they help us meet our mission of providing professional police services. Big thanks to all the cooperating agencies who made this a swift apprehension. We will continue to hold those accountable who prey on our youth and will use all resources available to do so as quickly as safely possible.
This was not a random act of rape, however we would encourage anyone who knew Jose and has information that may be helpful, or may be an additional victim, to contact dispatch at 509-628-0333. You can also report tips anonymously at www.kpdtips.com.