A 30-year-old Temecula resident has been accused of rape in both Temecula and Arizona, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigators.
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TEMECULA, Calif. — A Temecula man was jailed Friday and charged with a felony for allegedly raping people in multiple states, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department prison records.
Temecula resident Joseph Edward Labastida, 30, was arrested Wednesday on a Temecula rape charge and was being held in Southwest Detention Center on an escape warrant, prison records show. No bail has been set, the sergeant said. Joe Narciso. Labastida was scheduled to answer rape and fugitive felony charges at the Southwest Justice Center Friday morning.
The arrest stemmed from an attack on the night of May 20 when a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy was responding to reports of sexual assault on Block 44,000 of Pechanga Parkway. The suspect, later identified as Labastida by detectives, fled the scene.
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Following a thorough investigation this week, investigators discovered Labastida on the Temecula Parkway and near La Paz, according to investigative sources. He was arrested shortly afterward on suspicion of aggravated rape near Jedediah Smith Street and La Paz Street, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
After multiple hearings, lawmakers also learned that Mr. Labastida was wanted in Mojave County, Arizona, on sexual assault charges.
The Southwest Division Bureau of Investigation invites anyone with additional information regarding this incident to contact Agent Guvion at (951) 696-3000.
