Police: Man Arrested After Carjacking and Attempted Rape of Newark Woman

Editor's Note: This report was updated to include jail booking information of the suspect.

A homeless man was arrested late Monday night after he stole a car from a woman who he later tried to rape, police said.

David Petelo, also known as Tevita Petelo, 26, was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, attempted rape, sexual battery, assault with the attempt to rape and parole violations, according to Newark Police.

Petelo approached the woman around 10 p.m. on Jan. 9 when she was parked inside her car on Davron Street and pointed a gun at her to force his way into the vehicle, according to a press release from the Newark Police Department.

Authorities said the man drove off with the woman, who is a 22-year-old Newark resident, and stopped at a nearby park where he tried to sexually assault her. He then drove away from the park and forced the woman outside of the car.

The woman went to a home nearby and asked for the police to be called. She later went to a hospital and was released the same night.

Newark police tracked down Petelo to Scarbough Drive, where he was arrested and where the woman's car was retrieved.

Police are currently investigating whether Petelo was involved in an attempted kidnapping that occurred in April 2010.

In that incident, a 15-year-old girl was grabbed from behind and knocked down to the ground while she was walking near Parkshore Drive and Edgewater Drive.

When down, the teenager began kicking and screaming. The teenager escaped and the suspect fleed to Parkshore Drive. A bicyclist saw the assault and told a motorist to follow the suspect. While the driver chased the suspect, three gunshots were fired at the motorist.

No injuries were reported in that incident.

Petelo has been booked into Santa Rita Jail and faces an arraignment at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Michael Carroll at 510-578-4247. Anonymous tips can also be called into the police department's Silent Witness Hotline at 510-578-4000.