Man arrested for rape of Cape Town teen also linked to Jesse Hess murder

A man wanted in connection with the rape of teenager in Hanover Park, Cape Town, was arrested on Wednesday.

Capt FC van Wyk confirmed that the 31-year-old man was linked to a "rape and robbery case" that took place on Monday. He will appear in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Earlier, police said the man had also been linked to the brutal murder of student Jesse Hess and her grandfather.

However, Van Wyk would not confirm on Wednesday afternoon that the man was also arrested for the Hess case, telling TimesLIVE to go to court on Friday for further details.

News24 quoted Hess's aunt as confirming that the arrested man was linked to her niece's murder - and that the man was a relative.

Hess, a University of the Western Cape theology student, and her 85-year-old grandfather, Chris Lategan, were found dead at home in Parow in September.

At the time, police spokesperson Lt-Col Andrè Traut said Hess, a youth leader, was found dead on a bed, while her grandfather was tied up in a toilet. A TV, cellphones and backpack were missing.

Van Wyk confirmed on Wednesday morning that the man whose photograph was shared on social media was “a person of interest” in the Hess case.

“Circumstantial evidence currently links him to the crimes,” he said.

Van Wyk said the man had also been positively linked to the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in Hanover Park on Monday.