A barbaric and depraved sex offender once described as the most dangerous man in Victoria is on the run from police after breaching a supervision order - but there was no public warning of his disappearance for 24 hours.
Antonio Loguancio, 40, is wanted by police for breaching the supervision order, as well as for questioning over assaults in the West Heidelberg area on February 23.
Police have warned people not to approach him.
Loguancio, nicknamed Mad Dog, was jailed for a maximum of 12 years in 1998 over a 19-month spree of rape and violence.
Some acts were so vile that they have never been reported publicly.
On Thursday, Commander Doug Fryer said police had been told about Loguancio’s alleged assault on Saturday, and had been looking for him since, but a breach against his supervision order was not recorded until Tuesday night. There are two warrants out for his arrest.
The latest alleged assault was committed against a woman in a home; she had not been a previous victim of Loguancio.
Commander Fryer defended the fact that police did not reveal that Loguancio was on the run for another 24 hours after the breach because fugitive taskforce officers and Banyule detectives had been checking his "old haunts".
Loguancio, who may be driving a 1998 Blue Ford Fairmont sedan with registration ZAY 968, is known to have connections in Heidelberg and Dandenong. He may be in the inner metropolitan area.
A former detective once described Loguancio as the most dangerous man he had ever met, and a prison source told News Limited in 2007 that Loguancio was "the most dangerous man in Victoria".
Loguancio was released early from prison in 2008, but was charged soon after with weapons and ammunitions offences, and was locked up for breaching parole.
News Limited reported in 2011 that Loguancio had shot arrows at his rape victim, choked her with a belt and had forced her to her knees, pulled her head back by her hair and told her she was dead while armed with a pump-action shotgun.
Loguancio has a long criminal history, including six counts of rape, five of intentionally causing injury, four of making threats to kill and 12 of common assault.
He reportedly broke his own fingers on a desk in an interview room to avoid finger printing.
Loguancio was convicted 35 times and appeared before court 12 times between 1991 and his arrest for the rape offences in April 1997. He was then charged with 32 offences relating to those matters that dated back to September 1995.
He was found guilty of five counts of intentionally causing injury, four counts of threatening to kill, 12 counts of common assault, two counts of reckless conduct endangering life, six counts of rape and one count of reckless conduct endangering a person. At the time he was sentenced he was already serving a prison term.
Police alleged that Loguancio’s victim was raped and beaten daily for eight months between August 1996 and his arrest.
During an unsuccessful appeal in March 2000, Justice Frank Callaway said he would not outline the detail of Loguancio’s offences because of their seriousness.
‘‘Some of them were of such a depraved character that a description in a judgment that will go on the internet and may be reported would be contrary to public morals,’’ he said.
‘‘If the rapes and acts of reckless endangerment are not described, there is little point in particularising the counts of intentionally causing injury, threatening to kill and common assault.
‘‘It is sufficient to say that the applicant raped the complainant six times on four separate occasions and committed numerous offences of violence or threatened violence against her.’’
Justice Callaway said Loguancio had beaten his victim black and blue, threatened her with death if she tried to leave, strangled her with a belt on several occasions and that she could not recall all the beatings because there were so many.
‘‘The offences ... were numerous and barbaric,’’ Justice Callaway said.
Commander Fryer also revealed that Loguancio had charges pending for assaulting a police officer, but those charges had not breached his sex offenders order.
"Mr Loguancio has a significant history with Victoria Police, indeed he has a significant criminal history."
Corrections Victoria commissioner Jan Shuard said Loguancio had to report at least weekly and was subject to a range of conditions including abstinence from drugs and alcohol, living at a designated residential address and not traveling outside Victoria. His order was for five years.
There are 100 people on similar orders, 13 of whom are back in prison for breaching the order. Breaches attract a maximum penalty of five years.
Police warned that members of the public should not approach him but immediately contact triple-0 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via www.crimestoppers.com.au.
A FUGITIVE under siege in a Melbourne suburb for more than 24 hours was seen with something strapped to his body, police have confirmed.
Antonio "Mad Dog" Loguancio, 40, was seen with the object when he approached the door about 3pm in his bungalow in a quiet street in Melbourne's north.
Loguancio was cornered by police at 7pm on Friday in Justin Ave, Glenroy.
Police said he had not been given any food. It was unclear if he had slept since the standoff began.
Police were blowing a loud siren about 6 o'clock last night to keep Loguancio awake.
Police wanted him to surrender peacefully and to take him to a police station, Supt Stevenson said.
"He will get an opportunity to see his family, opportunity to see a solicitor, to talk to a solicitor, an opportunity to talk to whoever he would like to talk to back at that police station," he said.
"We want to negotiate a peaceful resolution, we don't want anyone hurt out of this." Police have been pursuing Loguancio after an alleged assault on a woman a week ago.
Mr Collett said Loguancio was a night owl and had no intention of ending the siege.
