ARLINGTON — An Arlington Police detective teamed up with a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent to take custody of a suspected child rapist, who was then booked into the Snohomish County Jail.

Destor Cabasada Gatchalian, 33, was transported from the Philippines to the United States by NCIS agents, along with Philippine law enforcement authorities, on March 23, before the Arlington Police detective and the local NCIS agent took custody of him in San Francisco and transported him back to Snohomish County.

Gatchalian was initially arrested after the Arlington Police Department investigated a criminal complaint they received on Jan. 4, 2005, involving the alleged acts of the rape of a child and child molestation, both in the first degree. The crimes occurred in 2004 within the city limits of Arlington, and Gatchalian, who was serving in the U.S Navy, was arrested for raping a 10-year-old child.

After Gatchalian was booked into and later released from the Snohomish County Jail on bond, he failed to appear in court on Feb. 22, 2005, and a $75,000 bail arrest warrant was issued at that time. During the next several months it was learned that Gatchalian had left the area and fled the country. On March 18 of this year, the Arlington Police Department was advised by the NCIS that Gatchalian had been arrested and was being held in the Philippines as a result of a joint operation conducted by NCIS, the FBI and the Philippine National Police.