A 33-year-old Herndon man pleaded guilty Tuesday to raping a woman on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, the same 45-mile path that runs through the heart of Vienna and draws more than 2 million users a year.
Denis Humberto Roman Navarette entered his plea Aug. 11 in Fairfax County Circuit Court for the Nov. 18, 2024, attack. He faces up to 18 years in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 11 before Judge Dontae L. Bugg.
The assault occurred in Herndon, roughly five miles west of Vienna's two W&OD access points at Park Street and Ayr Hill Road.
What happened
The victim told Herndon police she had been walking home from Jimmy's Old Town Tavern on the evening of Nov. 18, 2024, when Roman Navarette, a stranger, approached and assaulted her despite her telling him no, according to Patch. Officers found him on the trail shortly after and he confessed.
Then-Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard said Nov. 19, 2024, the day after the arrest, that it was "the only stranger rape that we have had in the town in my more than 12 years as chief of police," WTOP reported.
Prior conviction, early release
Five days before the trail attack, on Nov. 13, 2024, Roman Navarette had pleaded guilty to indecent exposure stemming from an Oct. 19, 2024, offense. He was sentenced to 50 days in jail but served only 25 before being released Nov. 14 under Virginia's statutory good-behavior provisions, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's office.
Four days later, he attacked the woman on the trail.
The victim of that earlier indecent exposure incident told FOX 5 DC she now carries pepper spray when walking her dog and no longer wears headphones in both ears so she can stay aware of her surroundings.
Delayed by competency proceedings
The case took more than 20 months to reach a plea because Roman Navarette was found incompetent to stand trial. He spent much of the time between his November 2024 arrest and his August 2026 plea undergoing competency restoration through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said his office pursued the outcome because Roman Navarette "poses a clear risk to public safety and cannot remain in the community."
An additional charge of abduction with intent to defile was not prosecuted as part of the plea agreement.
Trail safety for Vienna users
The W&OD Trail passes directly through Vienna with access points at the Vienna Community Center parking lot off Park Street and the Ayr Hill Road train station lot. Trail hours are 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The November 2024 attack occurred during evening hours.
Friends of the W&OD Trail operates a volunteer Trail Patrol; in 2023, patrollers logged 3,382 hours on the path. NOVA Parks manages the trail and posts safety guidance on its website.
