Maywood rape suspect arrested in Fresno is being investigated for other assaults and break-ins

A man suspected of breaking into a Maywood woman’s home and raping her was arrested and is being investigated for similar attacks throughout the community, officials said Monday.

Salvador Martinez was arrested by a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force near Fresno on Friday afternoon, just days after Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials released his photograph to the public and named him a suspect in the Nov. 13 rape in Maywood, authorities said in a news release.

Martinez, 28, was booked on suspicion of rape and is due in court Tuesday, said Sheriff’s Lt. Todd Deeds.

Authorities say that a week ago, Martinez broke into a woman’s home near Slauson and Maywood avenues between midnight and 4 a.m. and raped her. They believe he may be linked to a series of other break-ins last month in Maywood, where two women and a 13-year-old girl were assaulted, Deeds said.

The attacks, which occurred over two weeks in October, have raised fears among residents and prompted city officials to offer a $5,000 reward for the suspect’s arrest.

“There is a predator who is accosting a number of females in our community that must be stopped before he attacks another victim,” Maywood City Councilman Thomas Martin said in a statement this month.

“If you ever find yourself with a burglar breaking into your home, stay calm and quiet but act quickly,” deputies have advised. “If you can safely escape, do so immediately. If you can’t, then hide and lock yourself in a room. Call 911 as quickly as possible, and stay by the phone. If you are attacked, fight back.”

In each of the break-ins, the attacker snuck into the home in the early morning hours by removing screens from unsecured windows, authorities said.

The first assault occurred about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 5 at a home in the 6100 block of King Avenue, where a woman was sitting in her living room, authorities said. The man walked out of her bathroom and grabbed her breasts, the Sheriff’s Department said.

“As the unwanted sexual touching continued, the victim fought against the suspect, pushing him away and forcing him out of the house,” deputies said in a statement.

The next break-in occurred 13 days later, about a mile from the first.

Authorities said the suspect entered an apartment in the 4300 block of 53rd Street at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 18 as the residents slept. One of the residents woke up after hearing a door open and saw a dark silhouette and light from a cellphone.

The resident yelled at the suspect, who jumped out a window and ran, authorities said.

About an hour and a half later, a suspect entered a home in the 4100 block of 53rd Street as a woman slept in her bed. She reported that she felt someone touching an “intimate body part” and woke up to find the intruder inside her bedroom.

The woman got up and ran into another room, where she locked the door and called 911. Deputies searched for a suspect, but couldn’t find him.

The next day, a man entered a home in the 3600 block of 53rd Street through the kitchen window and walked into a 13-year-old girl’s room, authorities said. The suspect covered the girl’s mouth, but she awoke and was able to yell for help, deputies said.

The girl’s father heard the scream and confronted the suspect. He punched the man, but then fell to the floor; the suspect was able to escape through the front door, deputies said.

The suspect in those attacks was described as 5 feet 2 to 5 feet 5 tall, 18 to 20 years old, with a very thin build. He wore dark clothing and did not appear to be armed during any of the break-ins, authorities said.

Joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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