Newman man held in sexual assault of 64-year-old

NEWMAN -- Police on Wednesday arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a 64-year-old woman as she slept shortly after 10 p.m. Friday.

Daniel Louis Diaz, of Newman was arrested on suspicion of felony sexual assault and burglary, Newman Police Chief Adam McGill said.

While Diaz is not suspected of stealing anything from the victim's home, McGill said burglary is committed when the suspect breaks into a home or business with the intent to commit a felony or theft.

"Based upon the evidence we have obtained in this case, we are confident Daniel Diaz is responsible for this crime," McGill said in a police news release.

He said investigators were following up on leads in the assault case, and Diaz was identified as a possible suspect. Diaz was initially taken into custody on an unrelated arrest warrant on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine after police spotted him Wednesday sitting on a park bench in the 1200 block of Main Street.

Diaz was later questioned by investigators at the Newman Police Department. During questioning, he made incriminating statements to investigators, McGill said.

There also was a key bit of evidence that investigators said connected Diaz to the crime -- a bite mark. McGill said the victim told investigators she bit the suspect during the assault, but police did not release that information to the public.

The investigators Wednesday spotted a bite mark on Diaz that was similar to the bite described by the victim and in the same location, McGill said.

The victim told police she was awakened Friday night by a man who was touching her and talking to her.

The man touched her in a sexual manner until the victim escaped briefly, but the suspect forced her back into the bedroom, McGill said.

The victim escaped a second time and ran to a neighbor's home as the suspect fled on his bicycle, McGill said.

Before he broke into the victim's home, McGill said, the suspect tried to get into another home in the neighborhood.

A woman in the other home called 911 and reported that a suspicious man on a bicycle had rung her doorbell. McGill said the caller told dispatchers she saw the suspicious man walking toward a neighbor's house, but the bicycle was left near the sidewalk.

After the victim ran out of her home, neighbors chased the suspect but lost sight of him after he entered the Orestimba High School campus.

Police ask anyone with information about this crime to call Detective Brett Short at 862-2902 or CrimeStoppers at 521-4636. People also can e-mail tips to Crime Stoppers at www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text tips to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus your message.

Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or 578-2394.

This story was originally published September 4, 2008 at 2:32 AM with the headline "Newman man held in sexual assault of 64-year-old."