Bail Set at $1 Million for Suspect in Rape of Girl,12 : Transient Set Free in Earlier Case

Bail was set at $1 million today for an unemployed construction worker arrested on suspicion of raping a 12-year-old girl abducted from her home in an exclusive gated community in Huntington Beach on Sunday.

Kyle Joseph Borges--a transient who had worked recently at the exclusive community--was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday after voluntarily going to Huntington Beach police headquarters for questioning.

Borges, 29, was acquitted in April of prior rape charges in Orange County Superior Court involving a 46-year-old Anaheim Hills woman who was attacked in her home by a man wearing a ski mask. A DNA fingerprint strongly linked him to that crime, but was not admitted as evidence.

“It was very persuasive and very strong evidence,” said Deputy District Atty. Dennis Bauer, who assisted in the prosecution. “It would have prevented this kidnap and rape because he’d still be in custody.”

Bauer said the testing determined that there was a one-in-36-million chance of a person besides Borges matching the chemical genetic characteristics.

May Employ DNA Testing

Huntington Beach Police said today they may conduct DNA testing in the case of the girl who was carried from a living-room sofa bed Sunday by a man who covered her mouth with his hand as her frightened friend slid under the covers and pretended to sleep. DNA testing has yet to be permitted in Orange County criminal cases.

“Basically the judge said: ‘You got the (DNA test) results too late and it’s not fair to the defendant to put in the evidence at this late date. Besides you have other evidence,’ ” Bauer recalled.

Borges will be arraigned Thursday on kidnaping, rape and burglary charges in West Orange County Municipal Court, police said.

“It appears as though we have a strong suspect,” Huntington Beach Police Capt. Bruce Young said at a press conference today. “There is no reason to believe right now that others were involved.”

Detectives received more than 100 telephone calls from people with information on a composite drawing of the rape suspect released Tuesday morning. Four or five of the calls provided information that directly related to Borges, Young said.

The calls and information provided by the victim helped police trace Borges to a friend’s north Huntington Beach residence.

The girl had been raped, then pushed nude from her abductor’s truck at Smokey’s Stables in county territory south of Warner Avenue and Bolsa Chica Street, about a mile from her home.

Young said police believe the kidnaping and rape occurred in the course of a burglary.

“I still feel it’s a crime of opportunity,” he said. “I feel the girl’s presence was that opportunity.”

Borges is being held in the Huntington Beach city jail on suspicion of kidnap, rape and burglary.

Staff Writers Eric Lichtblau, Catherine Gewertz and Davan Maharaj contributed to this story.