Cold Case Detectives Identify Rape Suspect; Additional Victims a Concern

For Immediate Release: Monday, February 9, 2026

Gaithersburg, MD —Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division, Cold Case Unit have charged a Virginia man in connection with two sexual assaults that occurred in Montgomery County in the late 1980s and 1990 and are asking additional victims to come forward.

An arrest warrant was issued on December 9, 2025, charging Carl Rice Jr., of Mitchells, VA, with two counts of first-degree rape and kidnapping, two counts of first-degree sex offense, three counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault.

The charges stem from two separate incidents.
On June 24, 1988, a female victim was leaving the Friendship Heights Metro station when she was approached by an unknown Black male described at the time as approximately 18 to 19 years old, about 5-feet 8-inches tall, with a chubby face and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. The suspect forcibly pulled the victim across the street, where she was sexually assaulted.

On September 19, 1990, a female victim met a man who identified himself as Kevin and offered her a ride home. When the victim became uncomfortable and attempted to get out of the car, the suspect physically restrained her and refused to let her go. He drove to an area in Bethesda, where he sexually assaulted the victim.

In February 2025, detectives received a CODIS DNA match connected to evidence recovered from the 1988 assault, which led investigators to identify Rice as the suspect. Because both crimes occurred near the border of the District of Columbia, detectives worked in partnership with the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department Cold Case Sex Assault Unit during the investigation.

Rice is currently serving a prison sentence in Virginia. He has been arrested previously in separate jurisdictions on charges related to rape and sexual assault.

Based on information gathered and the circumstances of these cases, detectives believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. Anyone with information or who believes they may have been victimized by Carl Rice Jr. is urged to contact the Montgomery County Department of Police Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070 or Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS(8477). 

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