East Palo Alto Police have recently made an arrest in a sexual assault case, taking a 19-year-old Mountain View man into custody. The suspect, identified as Steven Torres, was apprehended following a coordinated effort that utilized video surveillance and the FLOCK Safely network to track down the vehicle linked to the crime.
On Wednesday, a patrol officer encountered a distraught woman on Newell Road. The woman reported she had been sexually assaulted while walking home by a man who then fled in a sedan. The Police Department was quick to use the FLOCK Safely network, managing to trace the vehicle's movements to Mountain View carefully.
Yesterday, East Palo Alto Police Department (EPAPD) detectives, along with the Mountain View Police Department, located the vehicle and detained Torres as he was entering it. An interview led detectives to gather enough probable cause for his arrest on charges of sexual battery and assault with the intent to commit felony sex crimes. According to a press release from the East Palo Alto Police Department, the victim and Torres had never met before the assault.
Torres has been booked into the San Mateo County Jail. The EPAPD encourages anyone with additional information about this case to contact Detective Sergeant Jose Luaorozco immediately. As the investigation continues, the EPAPD extends its gratitude to the Mountain View Police Department for their partnership, which proved essential to rapidly bringing Torres into custody.
