Transient Suspected In 2nd Rape: Sebastopol Police

SEBASTOPOL, CA— A Sebastopol transient jailed since September on suspicion of raping a 75-year-old Sebastopol woman is now suspected in the rape of a second victim. The Sebastopol Police Department said detectives were notified Friday that DNA obtained during the investigation of a June 2019 sexual assault of a 61-year-old woman matched that of Tirso Guzman-Vivar, 26.

The 61-year-old victim reported to police that the perpetrator was at her home as an invited guest. She told police she wanted to provide the transient with some assistance.

It is now alleged that Guzman-Vivar was the guest, and that he drugged the woman, then had sexual intercourse with her multiple times.

"Guzman-Vivar's identity could not be known, since he had provided the victim with a false name," Sebastopol police officials said in a news release. "However, physical evidence obtained during the sexual assault investigation, including DNA, confirmed a positive match to Guzman-Vivar."

Guzman-Vivar's DNA was already in the U.S. Department of Justice's database because of numerous prior felony convictions, according to Sebastopol PD.

Additionally, police said, the 61-year-old woman provided several samples of beverage that needed to be tested in order to determine whether any of them contained controlled substance.

On Friday, Sebastopol police investigators learned one of the drink samples offered to the victim by Guzman-Vivar during the sexual encounter, was tested and indicated to have trace amounts of GHB, also known as the "date rape drug," police officials said.

On Saturday, Sebastopol police sent additional booking paperwork to the Sonoma County jail for Guzman-Vivar. Still in custody from his September arrest, Guzman-Vivar is now also accused of rape of an intoxicated victim, police said.

Guzman-Vivar was initially arrested Sept. 13 after the first alleged victim and her family members filed a report Sept. 5 with Sebastopol PD. The woman had trouble recalling the details of what had happened and her family argued she was incapable of consenting, police said.

Detectives collected evidence that the woman likely had intercourse with someone without consent and in fact was incapable of consenting. But the woman and her family could not provide the identity of her attacker.

On Sept. 13, witnesses found a man loitering outside the woman's residence and convinced him to stay in the area while they called police. Officers arrived and found Guzman-Vivar, a homeless man whom police said had many prior contacts with officers. Police said that he admitted to the officers he had had sex with the woman and was there to visit her again.

Jail records show Guzman-Vivar's bail is now set at $565,000. He is due in court Tuesday morning and again Dec. 5.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.