Arrest of Navy Commander on Suspicion of Attempted Rape Confirmed by San Diego Police

SAN DIEGO, CA — Police on Tuesday confirmed the San Diego arrest of a Guam-based U.S. Navy commander on suspicion of attempted rape by force and assault with attempt to rape. Cmdr. John Neuhart, 39, was taken into custody shortly after 3 a.m. Monday in the Valencia Park area of San Diego after a neighbor called 911 to report the alleged assault, according to San Diego police Lt. Paul Phillips.

Although Phillips did not identify Neuhart by his rank or title, Navy Times reported that Neuhart served as head of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, and was in San Diego for a conference at the time of the alleged crime.

The Iraq War veteran trained with a Coronado-based helicopter antisubmarine squadron in 2002, according to Navy Times.

According to Phillips, the victim, who is in her 20s, knows Neuhart because they both serve in the Navy and recognized him while with a group of friends at a Hyatt hotel in downtown San Diego. She and her friends talked with Neuhart for a period of time before she decided to leave the hotel bar and go home.

"She left and was accompanied by [Neuhart] to her residence," Phillips said. "[Neuhart] immediately became forceful with her and attempted to sexually assault her."

She began screaming very loudly, catching the attention of a male neighbor several doors down, the lieutenant said.

"Through a window [the neighbor] asked the victim if she was OK and she said 'no,' so he called 911 and he said in a loud enough voice that 'police were on their way.'"

At that point, Neuhart reportedly fled out the back door of the woman's residence and into a nearby canyon, where responding officers took him into custody following a brief foot chase.

The Navy commander was booked into San Diego County Jail on suspicion of one count of attempted rape by force and one count of assault with intent to rape. He was released on bail early Tuesday and is expected to be arraigned Monday.

Authorities did not release the woman's name or military rank.

In a mid-afternoon press conference Tuesday, Phillips declined to comment on alcohol consumption as related to the incident, or whether Neuhart or the woman suffered injuries.

He said it remains an active investigation, and asked anyone with information to call the San Diego Police Department Sex Crimes Unit at 619-531-2210.

— City News Service contributed to this report.

Image via Navy.mil