WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - A 20-year-old Massachusetts man who was wanted in connection with the rape and sexual assault of at least six women is now facing a slew of criminal charges, authorities said.
Ali Ghaffar was taken into custody at the Bearhole Reservoir in West Springfield around 7:45 p.m. on March 31 after two survivors identified him as the alleged suspect, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. Investigators said that another woman was climbing into the passenger seat of his car before they intervened.
The most recent attack was reported to have happened at the same reservoir shortly before 10 p.m. on March 24. A woman came forward a few days later and said she was looking for a ride on Marble Street when a car, driven by a male in his early twenties, with long hair, and a tan complexation stopped and offered to pick her up, according to officials.
The survivor told investigators she got into the car and they drove towards the Bearhole Reservoir in West Springfield. When they arrived, she said that the driver told her he had a gun and then proceeded to sexually assault her, officials said.
Over the course of their investigation, members of the Hampden State Police Detectives learned the West Springfield Police Department had been looking into several similar reported sexual assaults that occurred in the same area over the past eight months.
In each instance, the survivor was picked up in Springfield and then driven to a remote area of West Springfield, where the sexual assaults happened, officials said.
On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the West Springfield police received a report of another sexual assault where the survivor reported a similar experience as previous survivors.
Detectives were able to identify Ghaffar’s car while it was parked at the reservoir a day later and were able to stop another woman from getting inside, investigators said.
Ghaffar was charged in connection with those two assaults and eventually, his DNA was used to link him to one of the survivors. Other survivors were interviewed and Ghaffar was subsequently charged in connection with those.
Ghaffar is being held without bail on charges of rape, kidnapping, aggravated rape, assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit a crime, and armed kidnapping with sexual assault. He is slated to appear in court next week.
Officials are asking anyone who may have been attacked by Ghaffar to please come forward. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, 413-505-5993, or the West Springfield Police Department, 413-263-3210 ext. 0. You can also anonymously use Text-a-Tip, by texting the word CRIMES (2-7-4-6-3-7) and type the word SOLVE into the body of the message followed by your tip.
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