Berkeley Police Arrest Man Accused Of Sexual Assault, Kidnapping

BERKELEY, CA — Police in Berkeley have arrested a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman in March, according to a news release from the department Tuesday.

Jonathan Castellanos Miller, 20, was arrested on April 5 on suspicion of the assault and has also been charged with felony kidnapping.

Police said a woman in her 20s was grabbed from behind in the 2000 block of Blake Street about 9:15 p.m. on March 26. She was pulled into a parking lot and sexually assaulted for several minutes before the suspect left the scene.

The ensuing investigation relied on forensic evidence collected at the scene, as the victim was unable to provide a description of the suspect. Police said that evidence identified the suspect as Miller, who was arrested outside the Berkeley city limits on suspicion of multiple felonies.

A search of Miller's residence also found additional evidence of the crime, police said, including handcuffs and two replica guns.

Police said they believe Miller has assaulted other women and are urging them to come forward to report the crimes to Berkeley Police Department Sex Crimes Unit at (510) 981-5735.

Berkeley police thanked the Serological Research Institute, San Mateo County Crime Lab and California Department of Justice Jan Bashinski Laboratory for their timely assistance with forensic evidence in this case.

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