Man Charged in Sexual Assault of Teenager in SLO

A 17-year-old girl was locked in a downtown San Luis Obispo restroom as she was sexually assaulted on December 29.

The assault happened in the 1200 block of Morro Street. San Luis Obispo Police detained 48-year-old Manuel Reyes Luevano as the prime suspect in the attack.

“SLO PD officers found Luevano in the area where the assault occured, based on the description provided by the victim,” said Lt. John Bledsoe with the San Luis Obispo Police Department. “The victim was able to provide…a very detailed description of the suspect, his clothing, and the property he had with him at the time of the assault.”

Investigators say the 17-year-old victim was visiting San Luis Obispo with her family when she became separated and became lost. She approached Luevano who was sitting on a bench and asked him for directions. Luevano then escorted the teen to a restroom near a parking structure and forced her inside locking the door behind him.

While trapped inside the restroom, Luevano sexually assaulted the teen for several minutes before she was able to push him away and escape out the bathroom door.

Luevano is charged with:

Attempted Rape
Kidnapping
False Imprisonment
Sexual Battery

Police will be requesting additional charges of Forced Oral Copulation with a Minor, and Annoying or Molesting a child under 18 years of age.

Luevano was arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail with a bail set at $100,000.

Anyone with additional information regarding this assault is encouraged to call Detective Trevor Shalhoob at the San Luis Obispo Police Department at 805-781-7317

Investigators believe Luevano may be responsible for similar unreported crimes within the City of San Luis Obispo.