ESCONDIDO: Rape suspect located with GPS
SARAH GORDON - sgordon@nctimes.com
July 15, 2010 2:19 pm

A man who was wearing a GPS tracking device because of a pending immigration hearing was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of breaking into a home the day before and raping a 15-year-old girl there, an Escondido police lieutenant said.

Mid-day Tuesday, the girl was home in the 500 Block of West Ninth Street when the attacker entered the residence, forced her into a back bedroom, locked the door and raped her, Lt. Craig Carter said. The assailant then left.

The victim waited until her father came home at about 9 p.m. to report the crime, Carter said. The father called police, and detectives determined the attacker was a cousin of the girl's stepmother, though the victim did not know him, Carter said.

Police determined the suspect was wearing a an electronic monitoring bracelet because he had a pending deportation hearing.

Officers worked with an agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to located the suspect, Wenceslao Mendez, 34, in the 1100 Block of South Escondido Boulevard.

Mendez, was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Vista jail on suspicion of crimes including kidnapping, rape and burglary, Carter said.

Posted in Escondido on Thursday, July 15, 2010 2:19 pm Updated: 3:37 pm.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escon ... 03286.html