Sex Crime Suspect Arrested in Emeryville

The man was dressed as a security guard when he allegedly followed a woman to her car and pulled out a knife, police said.

A 30-year-old man faces multiple felony charges for sex-related attacks on two women earlier in March, according to Emeryville police.

Bashar Aremu, who is being held in custody without bail, is charged with two counts of kidnapping to commit a sex crime or robbery, two counts of sexual battery and one count of robbery for alleged attacks on March 10 and March 14.

He could face life in state prison if he's convicted of one or more of the kidnapping counts.

Emeryville police say Aremu was dressed in a security guard uniform when he followed a woman to her car in a parking garage in the 2100 block of Powell Street at about 8:20 p.m. on March 14.

They say he pulled a knife out and pressed it to her neck, demanded money and forced her into the trunk of her car.

According to Emeryville police, Aremu groped the woman, threatened to rape her and made statements that led her to believe he would kill her.

However, the woman managed to open the trunk of her car, ran for her life and located a security guard at a nearby business, who called police immediately. Officers responded in three minutes but Aremu fled before they arrived.

Emeryville police say that in the March 10 incident an employee at the Subway restaurant at 2350 Powell St. said Aremu grabbed her by the throat and forced her to the backroom, where he had her disrobe and lay on the ground.

Aremu fled when the woman screamed, police said.

Aremu surrendered to Oakland police at their substation at the Eastmont Mall on Sunday.

Emeryville police Capt. LaJuan Collier said Aremu told investigators after he was arrested that he fled to the Los Angeles area after he learned he was the suspect in the sex-related attacks.

However, Aremu later returned to the Oakland area, Collier said.

Areum has been arraigned on the charges against him and is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland on April 12 to enter a plea.

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