A suspect in an alleged sexual assault case was called a “major, major threat to the community” after his arrest Saturday night in downtown Santa Barbara.
On Sunday, police released new details about the attack, which they say involved the alleged molestation of two young girls who were asleep in their home.
As Noozhawk first reported late Saturday, police arrested a man about 9:30 p.m. near the Ralphs supermarket at the corner of Chapala and Carrillo streets.
Sgt. Riley Harwood on Sunday identified the suspect as Matthew Robert Torres, 39, a transient with ties to Ventura County.
He said officers responded to a suspicious subject call at a waterfront residence just after 4 a.m. Saturday after Torres had allegedly entered the unlocked home while the family was sleeping.
Torres entered the bedroom where two girls, both under the age of 14, were asleep and assaulted them, Harwood said.
“Noise made by the girls roused their father, who confronted Torres and ushered him out of the apartment,” he said. “Once Torres was gone, the victims’ father checked on his daughters and discovered that they had been molested.”
Police searched the waterfront area looking for the suspect based on the father’s description, and officers asked nearby businesses to check security cameras to see if they had captured images of the man, Harwood said.
One business in the 200 block of State Street had footage of a man that matched the suspect’s description and police released the images to the public, asking for any information identifying the man or his whereabouts.
Police received calls reporting that the man may have been downtown, and officers conducted surveillance before spotting Torres at about 9:30 p.m. near the Ralphs.
“He is a major, major threat to the community, and I’m really glad we were able to take him into custody,” Lt. Kenneth Kushner told Noozhawk late Saturday.
Officers arrested Torres without incident, interviewed him and booked him into Santa Barbara County Jail on two counts of sexual assault and burglary. Bail was set at $100,000.
“SBPD detectives arranged for child forensic interviews and forensic medical examinations to be conducted with the victims,” Harwood said. “The victims and their family were put in contact with sexual assault victim advocates.”
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.