The accused rapist who evaded officials for a decade is now in jail by US Marshals. Here's how he was caught

DETROIT - The legal term that Corey Gaston is labeled as is an "accused child rapist."

But for one law enforcement official, a few other terms feel just as appropriate.

"He is a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Amanda Seeger.

Seeger is a deputy U.S. Marshal and spent years of her life hunting down the America's Most Wanted figure after he allegedly raped a 10-year-old. Gaston posted bond and fled, was arrested and extradited back to Michigan - then posted bond again and fled to Mexico.

It would be a decade before his face would find itself back on TV. 

It is a story of luck and hard work, perseverance and overcoming hardship. 

"None of us quit," said Robert Watson, deputy U.S. Marshal. "We were working for her. We wanted her to have justice." 

It was back in the summer of 2007, cops believe 41-year-old Corey Gaston, who was 29 at the time, had been at a friend's house for a barbecue, which wasn't far from where the 10-year-old lived on Pierson Street, on the city's west side.

Gaston likely spotted the girl and carefully watched her. Police say in the middle of the night on June 27, 2007, Gaston crawled through the bedroom window. The little girl, now 23, tells FOX 2 a fan crashed to the floor  and woke her up. 

"I still remember everything. I will never forget that," said the victim.

She said she was half-asleep and thought Gaston was a family member until he threw her over his shoulder.

"I remember when he walked me to the bushes and told me to keep quiet," she said.

Putting his hand over her mouth and threatening to kill her if she screamed, this young woman said she cried silently as he brutally raped her.

FOX 2: "You said I am going to do what he says, I have to get out of here alive."

"Yes, I didn't know he was going to take me back home, thank God he did," she said.

Gaston then returned the girl to her home because he had dropped his cell phone. The little girl banged on her brother's window and Gaston was scared off. 

"My brother, he saved my life," she said.

Police found Gaston's phone and DNA at the scene, before arresting him days later. However, he posted a $20,000 bond and took off for Georgia. U.S. Marshals would arrest him and ship him back to Michigan.

But then in February 2008 when preparing for trial, Gaston was given a $50,000 bond and his family fronted the money. He then fled.

"When the court date came around, he was nowhere to be found," said Seeger.

Gaston's family and friends were no help - which forced U.S. Marshals to take a fresh look at the case and ask for help in the media. They reached out to law enforcement across the country, even running Gaston's DNA through several databases.

FOX 2: "And what did you come up with?"

Seeger: "Nothing."

FOX 2: "How rare is that?"

Seeger: "Extremely rare. Extremely rare."

Gaston became a U.S. Marshals Top 15 Most Wanted criminal.

"In addition to getting his face out there and being one of the worst of the worst, the entire time, were working for a 10-year-old girl," said Seeger.

Watson was assigned to the case in 2013. They used facial recognition technology. They ran checks in every state. 

"Essentially the investigators were walking around with a check for $25,000 to anybody that can help us," Watson said. "(We) poured through thousands of photos trying to find somebody - trying to find anything that we could. We had binders of information that we were going through, trying to find a pattern."

Thousands of tips across the country eventually pointed to four possible locations where Gaston might be hiding: Alabama, Tennessee, southern California, and Mexico.

Marshals say that Gaston's case wasn't "typical." The Detroiter came from a close family, was known as the "life of the party," was educated, and had no criminal history. Officials on his case hoped for someone to slip up, be it family or friends or Gaston himself. Instead, it was partly luck that blessed them with their find.

A video from Guadalajara, Mexico showed Gaston walking down the street. He was reportedly selling trinkets like a vendor. Mexican authorities who were on the lookout for Honduran nationals began questioning Gaston.

Fox 2: "And this is kind of based on a gut instinct that this guy just doesn't fit here?"

Watson: "Yes."

Gaston pulled out his cousin's Michigan ID, insisting that it was him, but unable to answer basic questions. Gaston was arrested and turned over to immigration. The U.S. Embassy was contacted and later a representative with the state department. His fingerprints were scanned and he was asked to fill out a passport application.

"And they get a hit back that it's 'Top 15 Most Wanted Corey Gaston,'" said Watson.

"I've wanted to get to this point for the last 10 years," said Seeger.

She wasn't the only one. Gaston's victim was counted among those most relieved to hear of his arrest.

"I don't have to look behind my car at night. I don't have to be scared anymore," she said.

Gaston is now sitting in a jail cell in Detroit. The girl he stole so much from, now the proud mother of a 4-year-old girl. Both she and her mom plan to face Gaston in court.

"We hate you for what you did to me but we love you for bringing me back home to my family," she said.

The U.S. Marshals pray this woman - never - has to worry again.

 "He has no power over you," Watson said. "And you are going to continue to live your life in happiness. And he's going to be in a cage for the rest of his."