Man Arrested After Sexually Assaulting Woman He Offered A Ride

PACIFICA, CA — A man who sexually assaulted a woman he offered to give a ride to from San Francisco to Pacifica last year has been arrested, nearly 10 months following the incident.

A Pacifica Police Department spokesperson said Friday that Pacifica and San Francisco police investigators coordinated their efforts to locate the suspect and arrested him May 2. Police have identified him as Francisco Antonio Garcia, 53, of San Francisco.

Pacifica police said the incident occurred during the early morning hours of last July 23 when the woman accepted a ride from Garcia, with whom she did not know. Instead of taking her to her requested destination, Garcia took the woman to an alternate location and sexually assaulted her. She was able to break free and ran to a local neighborhood where residents heard her screams and called police.
During the course of the investigation, DNA evidence obtained by Pacifica police investigators proved instrumental in identifying Garcia as the person responsible for the crime.

Garcia's DNA also linked him to unsolved sex crimes in San Francisco.

Garcia was booked May 3 on felony charges of assault to commit rape and sexual battery. Additional charges are pending collaboration with the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

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