An arrest was made for the rape of a UC Davis student, after two years of investigation.
“When we started the case, we only had a first name and physical description of the suspect,” said Lt. Paul Doroshov of the Davis Police Department. “After a prolonged investigation, which included collecting and analyzing physical evidence, we were finally able to identify a suspect.”
That suspect was Sacramento resident Leonardo Garcia Avalos, 28, who was taken into custody on Feb. 24 by Davis police detectives. The victim, a then 21-year-old female student, reported the incident to the Davis police on Feb. 6, 2009.
The identity of the victim and the details of the case are being withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation, said police officials in a press release.
Avalos faces charges of forcible rape, kidnapping, forced oral copulation and sodomy, according to Doroshov.
Avalos was held at the Monroe Detention Center in Woodland under a $150,000 bail. As of Monday morning, Avalos was no longer at the jail, a detention center spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said she could not comment on when Avalos posted bail or the conditions of his release because he was no longer in their custody.
The Feb. 5, 2009 incident started at a bar in Downtown Davis, where the victim was out with friends.
“The victim met the suspect [at the bar], but did not know him prior to this,” Doroshov said.
According to the police, the victim shared a few drinks with Avalos, after which he drove her to her apartment on Olive Drive.
“When the victim refused to have sex with the suspect, he offered to take her back to the bar where her friends were. The victim agreed and got into his vehicle,” a press release states.
Instead of driving back to the bar, Avalos drove the victim to the outskirts of Davis, where the victim said Avalos raped and sexually assaulted her. Avalos then drove the victim back to her residence.
At the time, the victim could only report a physical description of the car and the suspect, the police report said.
Avalos is due back in court for a hearing on April 4.
According to the California Penal Code, if all of the charges against Avalos stand, he faces 10 to 27 years in prison.
“Due to the nature of the felony crimes, there are no set guidelines for the sentencing in this criminal case,” said a representative for Shawn Landry, the assistant court executive officer of Yolo County.
SARAHNI PECSON can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
