A San Diego woman escaped with her one-month-old child and called for help after a man allegedly broke into several apartments at a youth-services housing complex and sexually assaulted her, police say.
The incident was reported around 10 p.m. Saturday, August 22, in the 3200 block of Wing Street in Loma Portal. San Diego police identified the arrested man as Diego Yanez, 23.
Yanez faces allegations including rape by force, assault, false imprisonment and burglary. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Daily Junk Food is withholding the woman's identity and any detail that could needlessly expose her or her infant.
Police say three units were entered
Investigators allege Yanez broke into three apartments at a living community operated by San Diego Youth Services. In one unit, police say he assaulted a woman who was there with her baby.
The woman managed to escape with the child and seek help. Responding officers found Yanez inside her apartment and arrested him, according to the department.
The woman was treated for injuries that authorities did not describe. Police said the infant was not physically hurt. It was not immediately known whether the woman and Yanez knew each other.
Yanez was being held on $1 million bail, according to the initial report. Bail is a pretrial condition, not a finding of guilt.
The housing provider says the suspect had no affiliation
San Diego Youth Services said the accused was not affiliated with its organization. The nonprofit provides housing and other assistance to young people and families experiencing instability.
The organization said it increased security, closed a gate and began reviewing the incident. Those steps matter because residents in supportive housing may already face risks that make privacy and controlled access especially important.
The initial reporting does not explain how the intruder allegedly entered the property or the three units. It also does not say whether locks, gates, staffing or surveillance failed. A security review should answer those questions without shifting responsibility onto residents.
A survivor's escape is not public entertainment
This case contains facts that are shocking enough without embellishment. The public needs to know what police allege, how a housing provider is responding and whether the property had vulnerabilities. It does not need intimate descriptions of an alleged assault or clues that identify the survivor.
San Diego police said the Sex Crimes Unit is investigating. Prosecutors will have to establish identity, entry, force and the other elements of each charge with admissible evidence. Defense counsel will have the opportunity to challenge that evidence.
The verified sequence is stark: police say an intruder entered multiple units, a woman fled with her newborn and officers arrested a man inside her apartment. The infant was unharmed, and the survivor reached help. The next obligation belongs to the justice system and the housing provider—to protect her privacy, test the allegations fairly and explain how residents will be kept safe.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.