Transient Breaks Into Home, Sexually Assaults Woman In Shower: PD

NAPA, CA — A Napa-area transient remained in custody without bail this week in connection with the sexual assault of a woman inside her home, according to the Napa Police Department.

The incident was reported June 20 when the female victim called the Napa Police Dispatch Center and said a man broke into her residence and sexually assaulted her. She told police she was in the shower when the man entered her home and pulled back the shower curtain. It is alleged the man grabbed her while she was in the shower but she fought him off and he left.

She described her attacker as a Hispanic man with a shaved head and a tattoo under his right eye. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black colored jeans and was last seen on Shoreline Drive, which is near the Napa River Trail.

Officers from the Napa Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, and deputies from from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office swiftly responded to the area, Napa police Lt. Chris Pacheco said.

A perimeter was quickly established, and Napa PD officers utilized a CHP helicopter, an NPD K-9 unit, and NPD drones to track and locate the subject.

Around 20 minutes later, detectives from the Napa Police Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) located a man matching the description and detained him on the River Trail, just north of River Pointe Napa Valley Hotel, Pacheco said.

Police identified the man as Amador Solano Ortiz, 32, and alleged he had the victim’s personal items in his possession.

The victim positively identified Ortiz as the man who entered her residence and assaulted her.

Ortiz was arrested on suspicion of the crime and taken to the Napa Police Department where he confessed to that and other crimes, Pacheco said.

Two days before, on June 18, patrol officers had responded to Stonehouse Drive, where a resident reported a person had removed a screen from a window and was trying to enter a residence. He was scared away by the resident, and officers were not able to locate him.

"Based on the nature of the call, Ortiz was questioned about this incident," Pacheco said. "He admitted that he tried to break into a couple of residences in that area."

Ortiz was booked into Napa County jail on suspicion of home invasion robbery, burglary, assault with intent to commit a felony, false imprisonment, sexual penetration by a foreign object and criminal threats.

Police said at the time that no weapon was used in the crimes and that with Ortiz in custody, there was no further threat to the public.

The victim was being treated as needed by medical and advocacy professionals.

Police asked anyone with information about the investigation to contact Napa Police Detective Romero at iromero@cityofnapa.org.