Rape Caught on Tape?

Responding to a tip from a Santa Barbara City Parking employee, the S.B. Police Department may have caught a rapist. Anthony Vasquez, a 19-year-old felon on probation, was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in the elevator of a parking garage. A technician from Downtown Parking contacted Detective Michael Claytor on January 20 after witnessing what he thought was a rape while reviewing past security camera footage from an elevator in City Lot 2 at 900 Chapala Street.

Beginning just before midnight on January 17, a male suspect brought a seemingly unconscious woman into the elevator and allegedly assaulted her for an hour before leaving her there. The victim remained immobile for another three and a half hours until she woke up and staggered away. Photographs from the footage were distributed within the Police Department, and Officer Craig Burleigh recognized Vasquez.

Vasquez was soon located in Vera Cruz Park where Detective Claytor arrested him. He was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail with charges of rape, oral copulation, penetration with a foreign object, sexual battery, and violation of probation.

Detective Bryan Jensen identified and located the 23-year-old victim, interviewed her, and put her in touch with Santa Barbara Rape Crisis.