Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested For Allegedly Attacking Woman

PALO ALTO, CA -- Police arrested a man Wednesday on suspicion of sexual assault of a woman who was walking on El Camino Real early Saturday morning.

Daniel Eduardo Alvarez, 28, of East Palo Alto was taken into custody on charges of allegedly trying to commit a sex offense, criminal threats, false imprisonment and sexual battery, which are all considered felonies.

The case started when an officer patrolling was flagged down on El Camino Real near Grant Avenue by a man who reported his girlfriend had just been assaulted in the 2500 block of El Camino Real. The preliminary investigation revealed that a woman in her 30s had been unloading items out of her vehicle to give to her friend. As she walked on El Camino Real to meet her friend at an apartment complex, she felt someone grab her buttocks. The victim turned and saw an unknown male who then pushed her to the ground on her back. The suspect straddled her, started touching her genitals over her clothing, and threatened her if she screamed. The victim screamed and yelled help which alerted the victim’s boyfriend who came outside and saw the attack. The suspect ran away southbound on the busy thoroughfare.

Through follow-up investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspect on Sunday and located him with an arrest warrant Wednesday afternoon with help from Menlo Park Police officers inside a residence in the 1100 block of Saratoga Avenue in East Palo Alto.

Police booked Alvarez into the Santa Clara County Main Jail pursuant to the warrant. He is also facing an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs out of San Mateo County.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the 24-hour dispatch center at
650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text
message or voice mail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through
our free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.

--Image courtesy of Palo Alto Police Department

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