Man Convicted In Attempted Rape Near Richmond Plunge

SAN PABLO, CA – A 30-year-old San Pablo man has been found guilty by a Contra Costa County Superior Court jury for the kidnapping and attempted rape of a woman near the Richmond Plunge in 2007, prosecutors said Monday.

Daniel Betancourt Jr. attacked the victim on Dec. 15, 2007, while she was out for a run. She was headed toward Ferry Point Tunnel when she was grabbed and dragged into bushes by Betancourt, Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office spokesman Scott Alonso said.

The suspect, who was using a knife during the attack, cut his hand and spilled blood onto the victim, Alonso said.

During the struggle, residents heard the commotion and started yelling, prompting Betancourt to flee, according to the district attorney's office.

Richmond police collected evidence, interviewed witnesses and the blood on the victim's clothes was tested. A DNA match was eventually made in 2017, after Betancourt registered as a sex offender following a separate
conviction.

"The victim in this case persevered for many years as this case remained unsolved," Deputy District Attorney Jay Melaas said in a statement. "This unjust and unprovoked attack left her physically and emotionally
harmed. Nonetheless she remained committed to seeking justice through this trial and bravely identified and confronted her attacker in court."

Betancourt was found guilty on Aug. 16 of kidnapping for rape, and assault with the intent to commit rape. He is set to be sentenced in October.

The three-week trial took place before Judge Lewis Davis, prosecutors said.

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