BAKERSFIELD — A man suspected of breaking into two Bakersfield homes and sexually assaulting two women, then fleeing in a car that belonged to one of the victims, has been arrested on the Central Coast.
Abel Palafox Lopez, 29, was booked into the Kern County Jail for sexual assault charges. According to the Bakersfield Police Department, Lopez was being sought by police in connection with a September 13 burglary and sexual assault that occurred at a residence in the 1100 block of New Stine Road at around 1:30 a.m. “The victim said she woke up to find the suspect in her bedroom,” said BPD Public Information Officer Joe Grubbs. “He then began to sexually assault her before fleeing the scene through an unlocked window.”
Then at around 8 a.m., officers responded to a second call of a burglary and sexual assault at a residence in the 5700 block of Kirkside Drive. Again the suspect entered the home by breaking a locked window. This time however, the suspect also stole the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
Bakersfield Police issued a description of the suspect and the stolen vehicle. Later in the day, at around 11:30 a.m., Bakersfield Police detectives were contacted by police in Santa Maria, who informed them that the stolen vehicle was located after it had been involved in a single vehicle accident.
Lopez, who was the driver of the vehicle, was taken into custody and transported back to Bakersfield, were he was interviewed and subsequently arrested. Detectives are still trying to confirm if both incidents are related and the investigation is ongoing.
