Man, 21, Arrested in Attempted Rape

Authorities have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of kidnapping and attempting to rape a 15-year-old girl.

Deputies said Darwin Fuller drove the girl to several secluded areas Monday afternoon along California 150 between Upper Ojai and Santa Paula and sexually assaulted her.

The girl, whose name was not released, struggled several times to run, authorities said. She managed to escape once and tried to hide. Fuller, however, found and verbally threatened her, forcing the girl back into his car, authorities said.

She escaped again a short time later during another attack on Sulphur Mountain Road. Two unidentified females driving by spotted the running girl and drove her to a friend’s house, where she called the Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies found Fuller driving south on Highway 150 about 6:20 p.m. and tried to pull him over. But Fuller sped up, authorities said, and then lost control of his car and crashed. Fuller, who suffered no injuries in the accident, was arrested at the scene. He was booked into the Ventura County main jail where he was held on suspicion of kidnapping and attempted rape, authorities said.