Sonoma County sheriff's deputies on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of abducting and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl while she was headed to school and for allegedly trying to abduct another student, the sheriff's office said.
Sheriff's officials on Wednesday identified the suspect as Jesse Leon Granado-Lopez, 49, of Sonoma.
Staff at Altimira Middle School in the Sonoma area reported around 8 a.m. that the girl was sexually assaulted while she was walking to school, according to the sheriff's office. At around the same time, authorities received a report of a man with a similar description who tried to abduct a second student.
Authorities responded to the area to search it and speak with the victims. Within two hours, they found the suspect and arrested him, the sheriff's office said.
"We know that parents and students are understandably very concerned about these crimes," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "We are confident that there is only one suspect, who is in custody. These cases are a top priority for Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Detectives and they are actively investigating them."
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Deputies will be conducting extra patrols in the area for the next week, according to the sheriff's office.
