Man Arrested in Rape of Ex-Girlfriend

An Oregon man was arrested Friday night on suspicion of raping his ex-girlfriend, police said.

Mark Steven Gilreath, 33, was held at Orange County Jail on Saturday, Sheriff’s Lt. Keith Brown said. Gilreath also has a $10,000 bench warrant for assault, Brown said, adding that details of that incident were not available.

The rape occurred about midnight near Live Oak Canyon, an unincorporated area in South County, authorities said. Gilreath and the victim, whose name is being withheld, apparently were out on a date and had been at a friend’s house, Brown said.

Afterward, the suspect drove his ex-girlfriend to the canyon area, where he allegedly raped her in the back of a moving van. Brown said Gilreath apparently had been living out of the van.

The woman escaped and ran to a nearby stable, where she called her mother, who notified authorities. Deputies found Gilreath still in the area and arrested him.