This weekend detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit made two arrests stemming from an investigation into a violent sexual assault that occurred on the morning of Saturday, April 14, 2018. This incident began when a San Francisco woman got into what she thought was a ride sharing car after leaving Bruno’s Bar in San Francisco. The suspects took her to Sonoma where she was beaten, choked and sexually assaulted by two men in the car. She eventually escaped and was aided by a Safeway employee.
Detectives investigating the case reviewed countless hours of surveillance video from various businesses and bridge cameras. In watching the video they identified one suspect who was seen at about the time of the crime, entering a gas station across the street from the crime scene in Sonoma. In this video he was seen purchasing a condom.
Detectives also wrote numerous search warrants during the course of the investigation. One key warrant was for the victim’s cellular phone which provided data telling detectives approximately when she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Detectives used that information and wrote a warrant for Golden Gate Bridge District surveillance video which was ultimately supplied.
While watching that video, detectives observed a black Dodge Magnum car with a specific blue neon license plate light. This Dodge Magnum with the neon light was also captured on video from various business surveillance systems in Sonoma.
Detectives put out a flier to local law enforcement agencies using a picture of the suspect in the gas station and the Dodge Magnum with the neon light. An officer from the Novato Police Department recognized the suspect and distinctive vehicle from a recent unrelated arrest where he towed the suspect’s car. Novato Police identified the suspect as 33-year-old Fredi Analberto Lopez-Flores of Novato.
Detectives wrote a search warrant for Lopez-Flores’ cellular phone company which gave them important location records. These records indicated that Lopez-Flores was in San Francisco on the morning of April 14, 2018 and in the area where the victim was forced into the car and drove north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sonoma at the same time the victim came to Sonoma.
Detectives obtained enough probable cause to determine that Lopez-Flores was the driver of the suspect vehicle and they obtained a $2,000,000 warrant for his arrest. Lopez-Flores was arrested on Friday June 1st in San Rafael where he works doing general labor.
Detectives also determined that Lopez-Flores was with his friend Christian Alejandro May Quintero, a 24-year-old Sonoma resident, that morning. Quintero lives about a block away from where this violent attack occurred.
Detectives served a search warrant on Quintero’s home where physical evidence of the crime was located. Detectives arrested Quintero at workplace in Sonoma on Saturday June 2, 2018. Both men were booked into the Sonoma County Jail on numerous sex crimes and assault charges. Lopez-Flores is being held on $2, 000,000 bail while Quintero is being held without bail due to an attempted murder charge associated with this case.
Detectives believe these suspects were not drivers for any ride sharing company and that this was a random attack. The suspects found the woman standing on the corner of Stanyan Street and Fulton Street in San Francisco, waiting for a ride on the morning of April 14th when Lopez-Flores drove up next to her. She had actually taken a ride share from Bruno’s Bar in the Mission District to this location accidentally and was waiting for a second ride share to get her home.
Quintero allegedly got out of the car and forced the victim into the back seat of Lopez-Flores’ car where he violently beat and attacked her all the way to Sonoma. Once they got to Quintero’s neighborhood, they pulled over in a shopping center across from Safeway where Quintero continued to attack and sexually assault her. While this occurred, Lopez-Flores walked to the gas station and bought a condom and then he got into the back seat and sexually assaulted the woman.
This investigation was very extensive and involved over 2000 hours of staff time and approximately 20 search warrants written and issued. The investigation took detectives to nine different counties and required cooperation from numerous agencies and private businesses. We wish to thank everyone who helped solve this crime.
Prepared By: Sgt. Spencer Crum
SPD: 18-0000425
Media Inquiries: 707-565-3941
