Irvine man arrested for 3 Orange County rapes

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Irvine Police arrested a serial rape suspect Wednesday afternoon.

A joint investigation between the Irvine Police and Newport Beach Police departments culminated in the arrest.

Irvine resident Travis Dewayne Batten Jr., 29, was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail Wednesday on multiple counts of rape and other felonies and was held without bail, according to the Irvine Police Dept.

Irvine and Newport Beach police discovered DNA and fingerprints from a suspect in rapes occurring in both cities between May 2005 and July 2010. Detectives did not have a person matching the DNA or prints in any law enforcement database, according to Irvine Police.

Batten is accused of committing rape in Newport Beach on May 20, 2005; in Irvine on November 30, 2006; and in the same Irvine apartment complex on July 7, 2010.

Victims in each of the rapes were unable to provide a description of the suspect due to his covered face.

Irvine detectives began surveilling the area of the Irvine complex following the second rape.

Nearly a year later, in June 2011, police received a report of a suspicious subject in the area. Irvine Police intensified daily patrols and area nighttime surveillance, according to the department.

Batten was one of the subjects seen in the area and had been contacted by police. Further investigation led forensic experts to match a fingerprint in the Newport Beach rape case to Batten. That print also matched the two found in the Irvine investigations.

Irvine Police, in cooperation with Newport Beach Police, arrested Batten Wednesday.

Anyone with information regarding this case should contact detectives in the Irvine Police Dept. at (949) 724-7194.

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