Police believe Raleigh man accused of rape targeted women through remodeling business

The arrest warrant for Cartagena Guzman accuses him of raping a woman in Durham in July. Police believe he was using his remodeling business to target women.
Posted 10/2/2025, 4:14:00 PM Updated 10/2/2025, 10:21:26 PM

ONE SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS, WRAL

NEWS COVERAGE. YOU CAN GO.

>> TARGETING WOMEN INSIDE THEIR

HOMES. THOSE ARE THE

ACCUSATIONS FROM DURHAM POLICE.

42 YEAR-OLD JOSE CARNAHAN, A

GUZMAN IS FACING CHARGES FOR

RAPE AND KIDNAPPING POLICE

BELIEVE HE USED HIS REMODELING

BUSINESS TO TARGET WOMEN.

WRAL. SHAUN GALLAGHER JOINING

US NOW LIVE IN DURHAM. SEAN,

POLICE FEEL THIS STORY COULD

ACTUALLY ULTIMATELY LEAD TO

MORE VICTIMS COMING FORWARD.

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. LENA.

AND THERE'S A LOCAL VICTIMS

ADVOCACY GROUP THAT TELLS ME IF

SOMEONE WAS ACCUSED OF THIS,

IT'S LIKELY NOT THEIR FIRST

TIME. CARNAHAN, YOUR GUZMAN

IS BEING HELD ON A $300,000

BOND. AND THERE'S A VERY REAL

POSSIBILITY. HE WAS OPERATING

MULTIPLE BUSINESSES UNDER

DIFFERENT NAMES.

>> POLICE ARE HOPING SEEING

AND WILL ENCOURAGE MORE VICTIMS

TO SPEAK OUT. THEY BELIEVE 42

YEAR-OLD JOSE CAR TO HANYU

GUZMAN OWNS J C G REMODELING

LLC, A COMPANY. THEY SAY HE WAS

USING TO TARGET WOMEN. THAT

COMPANY DOESN'T EXIST IN THE

STATE'S DATABASE, BUT CAR TO A

NEW FLOORING DOES SHARING THE

SAME RALLY CAR TO A NEW GUZMAN

TO ARREST WARRANT AND ADDRESS.

WE TRIED TO MAKE CONTACT BUT

NO ONE ANSWERED. THE BUSINESS

WAS CREATED IN 2019 BUT

DISSOLVED IN 2021 BECAUSE HE

DID NOT FILE AN ANNUAL REPORT.

POLICE BELIEVE 4 YEARS AFTER

THAT COMPANY DISSOLVED THAT

HE RAPED A WOMAN IN DURHAM.

BUT SCARY TO ME IS.

>> HE MAY HAVE A COMPANY MADE

THE PREDATES TWENTY-TWENTY

WOULD THAT THE WOMEN WOULD EVEN

KNOW TO COME FORWARD. MONIQUE,

A JOHNSON HOSTLER AT THE NORTH

CAROLINA COALITION AGAINST

ASSAULT SAYS IN HER NEARLY 30

YEARS WORKING AS A VICTIMS

ADVOCATE, SHE'S NEVER HEARD OF

THIS SCHEME.

>> SHE SAYS EVERYONE SHOULD

VERIFY A BUSINESS LIKE THIS

THEMSELVES AND NOT JUST RELY

ON RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT IF ALL

ELSE FAILS, SHE ENCOURAGES

PEOPLE TO NOT BE AFRAID TO STOP

DOING BUSINESS WITH SOMEONE IF

THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ANYTIME

YOU FEEL YOURSELF.

>> CREATING EXCUSE OR RATIONALE

FOR SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE DID

IS ARE IN STATES THAT WE SHOULD

PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.

>> NOW PART OF A NEW GUZMAN

WAS ARRESTED IN 2008 IN WAKE

COUNTY FOR A DRUNK DRIVING HIT

AND RUN CRASH. BUT HE NEVER

APPEARED FOR THOSE COURT

HEARINGS. SO THOSE CHARGES ARE

STILL PENDING TODAY. NOW CAR TO

A NEW GUZMAN DOES HAVE MULTIPLE

PHOTOS THAT WE'VE INCLUDED

ONLINE. AND POLICE ARE

ENCOURAGING YOU IF YOU

RECOGNIZE HIM AT ALL OR YOU

WERE INVOLVED IN A SITUATION