Upstate man arrested; suspect in decade-old LI rape case

State police have arrested a man whom Suffolk County authorities have been seeking in a decade-old rape case.

The state and Riverhead police investigation leading to Fredi Espana's arrest began with a current sexual abuse allegation against Espana from Long Island, New York State Police said in a news release. Investigators also found a 10-year-old arrest warrant against Espana from Suffolk police on first-degree rape charges.

Espana, 34, was arrested Tuesday in Brewster and charged with second-degree forgery, as well as second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal impersonation after he allegedly gave police a fake name and identification.

Police said Espana was arraigned in the town of Southeast and remanded without bail to the Putnam County jail - and police said the Suffolk arrest warrant has been lodged.

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said Wednesday that there is an outstanding warrant for Espana on rape charges issued in 2001. She could not provide any more information.

State police said that the investigation revealed the warrant against Espana from Suffolk police on charges of first-degree rape. Details of that case were not immediately available on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the most recent complaint came through the Riverhead police or another jurisdiction.

The investigation found that Espana is an undocumented resident who has "utilized numerous aliases to avoid apprehension," police said in the news release.

Police said Espana also used aliases twice during DWI arrests in Nassau and Westchester. More details on those arrests also were not immediately available.

Police said the investigation was continuing.