Man arrested for rape and murder of girlfriend's one-year-old daughter
Joshua Gurto had been on the run from police for three weeks
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A man has been arrested for the rape and murder of a one-year-old girl after three weeks on the run.
Joshua Gurto, 37, was arrested after being recognised by a police officer following a social media campaign aimed at tracking him down.
He is accused of raping 13-month-old Sereniti Jazzlyn-Sky Blankenship-Sutley, his girlfriend’s daughter, on October 7 at her home in Conneaut, Ohio.
Ohio police said the baby girl died as the result of blunt force trauma to her head and body.
Gunto was dating the child’s mother, Kelsie, at the time and police confirmed she is not facing any charges.
After being questioned immediately after the baby’s death he went on the run and spent weeks hiding in woods.
He was spotted last week on CCTV in Pennsylvania after hitch-hiking.
He was finally arrested by a police officer 120 miles from where Sereniti died in Franklin Lakes. The officer recognised him from images circulated on social media and by police forces,
He asked him to identify himself and, as reported by WKYC, Gurto admitted his identity and was taken into custody without a struggle.
Police searched his backpack and found several maps, including one of New Jersey and one of Pennsylvania, as well as a tent and a knife.
He is being held in custody accused of aggravated rape and murder.
According to police, the girl was found unresponsive and suffering from cardiac arrest in her bedroom by her 22-year-old mother.
Police questioned Gurto the day Sutley died, but say they did not have enough evidence to hold him.
A £5,000 reward had been offered in exchange for information on Gurto’s location and a Facebook page Justice For Baby Sereniti had been set up by a family friend to share information.