Police arrested a 27-year-old Santa Barbara man on Monday in connection with the alleged rape of a 14-year-old Carpinteria girl that occurred last year.

Saul Estrada Munoz of Santa Barbara was arrested at around 1:23 p.m. by Santa Barbara Police Department officers.

A police search had been underway around 12:45 p.m. in the area of Castillo and Arrellaga streets in Santa Barbara, per emergency radio traffic.

At the scene, the suspect — later identified by police as Estrada Munoz — was spotted coming out of an apartment at 313 Arrellaga St. when he was taken into police custody by two officers.

Estrada Munoz was booked on suspicion of forcible rape, kidnapping to commit rape and making criminal threats, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick.

He was also arrested on a warrant that alleged a deadly weapon was used during the sexual assault, per Zick.

He was still in police custody as of Tuesday morning on a $1 million bail, according to Sheriff’s Office custody logs.

The victim of the sexual assault was walking home in March 2025 near Casitas Pass Road and Via Real when an “unknown suspect approached her and allegedly sexually assaulted her at knifepoint in a landscaped area near the bike path,” Zick said.

The Sheriff’s Office collected forensic evidence at the time that they submitted for DNA analysis, she said.

“Detectives continued pursuing available leads while awaiting forensic results. Based on the evidence and subsequent investigative follow-up, detectives developed probable cause and obtained a Ramey (arrest) warrant” for Estrada Munoz, Zick said.

“The Sheriff’s Office recognizes the courage of the victim in reporting the assault and participating in the investigative process. Because the victim is a juvenile and this case involves allegations of sexual assault, no additional identifying information about her will be released,” she added.