Santa Maria Police officers and the department’s SWAT Team took a suspect accused of rape and robbery into police custody on Saturday.
The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Angel Corona, was booked at the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail with no bail on suspicion of rape, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon likely to produce great bodily injury.
Police responded to the 1700 block of Oxford Avenue in Santa Maria at around 3 a.m. for a report of an assault.
The victim, an adult female, told officers she had been sexually and physically assaulted.
The suspect — who the victim knew as “Alex” — was reportedly armed with a handgun and also “forcibly took money from her before retreating into the residence,” a spokesperson for the department said.
“Officers established containment and made repeated announcements for Corona to surrender; however, he refused to comply,” the spokesperson for the department said. “Detectives obtained a search warrant, and due to the seriousness of the offenses and the information that Corona may have been armed, the SMPD SWAT Team was activated and assumed control of the incident.”
The suspect surrendered and was taken into custody.
Other people in the home were detained, including one who was cited for resisting and obstructing officers. They were later released.
The investigation into this incident was ongoing, police said.



