Rape Suspect Claims 14-year-old Girl “Consented”
Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood announced today that Roger Navaroo Pulido, 36, of Santa Barbara, was arrested on August 28th on suspicion of rape by force or fear and lewd acts upon a child of 14 years of age by a person at least 10 years older.
Roger Pulido
Earlier this month, according to Harwood, “police received a report of a forcible rape” at an Eastside Santa Barbara residential party. At that time, the SBPD Crimes Against Persons detail began an investigation into the allegations conducted by Detectives Mark Vierra and Charlie Katsapis. “They determined that a 14-year-old girl had been forcibly raped at that party,” Harwood reported, and that she had given a detailed description of the suspect, including specifics of her assailant’s tattoos.
Based upon those descriptions, Detectives Vierra and Katsapis recognized their suspect as Pulido. With a $100,000 arrest warrant in hand, on the afternoon of August 28th, SBPD Eastside Beat Coordinator Officer Adrian Gutierrez spotted Pulido riding a bicycle.
Officer Gutierrez alerted area patrols and with two additional uniformed police arriving on the scene, Pulido was taken into custody. “Pulido was interviewed by Detective Katsapis,” Harwood said, and “he admitted to having sex with the victim.”
In his defense, Pulido asserted during his police station interview that the sexual contact was “consensual”.
Pulido was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail and booked on charges of felony rape and lewd behavior upon a child.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
Read more:
MSNBC: Rape and Child Molestation Arrest
Santa Barbara Independent: Man Arrested for Allegedly Raping 14-Year-Old
