SLO police arrest man accused of home invasion-style sexual assaults

San Luis Obispo police arrested a 40-year-old man Wednesday who is allegedly connected to a pair of home invasion-style sexual assault cases in the city.

The two crimes took place within days of each other — both occurred during the early-morning hours and were carried out by a knife-wielding suspect who entered women’s homes through unlocked doors and windows.

On July 13, two women in their 20s fought off a man who attempted to sexually assault them in a home on Osos Street, police said.

Five days earlier, police said, a man sexually assaulted a woman in her 20s in a home on Los Palos Drive.

Authorities discovered evidence from the July 13 sexual assault and identified Arthur Tiofilo Rocha of Arroyo Grande as the suspect, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

Officers located Rocha at his residence in Arroyo Grande on Wednesday, and he was taken into custody without incident, the release said.

Detectives also served a search warrant at Rocha’s residence to search for additional evidence, officials said.

Rocha was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, criminal threats and assault with the intent to commit rape.

He was being held Wednesday evening at San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $1 million.

Police say the investigations into these sexual assaults in San Luis Obispo are ongoing. People with information about Rocha are encouraged to contact the police department at 805-781-7317.

This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 6:20 PM.