Public tip leads to arrest of 21-year-old man in Aurora Park sexual assault case

AURORA | After appealing to the public for leads, an Aurora man has been arrested in connection with a violent sexual assault reported in May at a west Aurora park, police said Thursday.

Jack Khaidav, 21, of Aurora, was arrested Tuesday night and faces charges of sexual assault, according to Aurora Police spokesperson Joe Moylan.

Khaidav is being held without bond at the Arapahoe County Jail, pending his first court appearance.

Police said the arrest came after detectives with the department’s Sex Crimes Unit received a tip, after a public appeal, through Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.

“Technology and community collaboration made the difference in this case,” Lt. Seth Robertson, who leads the department’s Special Victims Section, said in a statement. He credited private security video and information from the community with helping investigators identify the suspect.

The assault was reported about 6:30 a.m. May 8 at Expo Park, 10955 E. Exposition Ave. Patrol officers responded after receiving a report of a serious assault and spoke with a woman who said she had been attacked from behind while walking on the High Line Canal Trail, police said.

The woman told officers she fought off the attacker, described as an unknown man, and then warned other women in the area as she encountered them about the suspect, according to the department.

Detectives, working with Aurora Police Area Representatives, canvassed the area and located security camera footage showing the suspect, police said. A later tip from the community identified Khaidav as a possible match to the person seen in the video.

“Cases like this require patience, precision and an unwavering commitment to victims,” Investigations Bureau Commander Marc Paolino said in a statement. “The dedicated men and women of the Sex Crimes Unit never quit.”