Suspect In Howarth Park Rape Arrested, Santa Rosa Police Say

SANTA ROSA, CA — An arrest has been made in the Aug. 16 rape of a woman at Howarth Park in Santa Rosa, police said Friday. Rusiate Koliloa Waqa, 23, of Santa Rosa was taken into custody at 6:45 p.m. Thursday by detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Team.

Waqa is accused of kidnapping a woman and raping her the morning of Friday, Aug. 16, at the park on Summerfield Road, according to police.

Waqa came to the attention of detectives the same day of the incident, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Brenda Harrington said in a news release.

"Another citizen reported that Waqa was loitering in Howarth Park around the time the sexual assault occurred," Harrington said. "She provided law enforcement with a vehicle description and license plate. A records check linked Waqa to the vehicle."

Waqa was interviewed the afternoon of Aug. 16 but did not make any admissions to the assault, and was not positively identified by detectives as the suspect in the case, Harrington said.

When asked, he did agree to provide a cheek swab DNA sample, the sergeant said.

In the weeks since the rape was reported, detectives continued to search for witnesses and followed up on leads and tips from the public.

Thursday, after learning Waqa's DNA matched that of the suspect in this case, detectives "immediately mobilized and after conducting surveillance, located and arrested Waqa" as he walked toward his Santa Rosa residence, Harrington said.

Waqa remained in custody Friday without bail at Sonoma County's Main Adult Detention Facility on suspicion of rape and kidnapping with the intent to commit rape, the sergeant said.

He is due in court Tuesday afternoon, according to jail records.