Cambria man arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting woman on hiking trail

CAMBRIA, Calif. - The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman for hours on a Cambria hiking trail on Sunday.

Deputies said the sexual assault occurred on June 27. A woman told deputies she was on the Santa Rosa Creek hiking trail south of Windsor Boulevard in Cambria when a man suddenly dragged her off the trail.

The victim said she did not know the man, but he reportedly held her against her will and sexually assaulted her over the course of several hours before leaving her behind and fleeing the area.

The victim notified the sheriff's office of the crime the following morning, Monday, June 28, and an investigation began.

Detectives with the sheriff's office said they were able to collect DNA evidence which was processed using the ANDE Rapid DNA instrument to create a DNA profile of the suspect. The sheriff's office said this was the first time they have used the ANDE Rapid DNA instrument in a criminal investigation.

Thanks to the equipment, detectives said they were able to identify a 31-year-old Cambria man as the likely assault suspect.

After the victim positively ID'd the man, deputies searched the Cambria area in both marked and unmarked patrol units. On Friday, the man was reportedly located and arrested on the 4000 block of Burton Drive.

He was later booked at the San Luis Obispo County Jail.