Suspect Arrested in Newberg-Dundee Child Rape Case

The investigators believe the three-year old girl is the only victim.

Salem-News.com

(NEWBERG, Ore.) - Newberg-Dundee Police have been trying to locate and arrest a suspect allegedly involved in the rape of a three-year old girl since February 3rd 2009.

Sgt. Tim Weaver with Newberg-Dundee Police says after several attempts in locating 19-year old Neftali Sanchez-Gonzales, officers acted on a citizen tip late Monday afternoon and found him in a house in south Newberg.

"Officers converged around the house in the 900 block of S. Pacific, Newberg. No one would answer the officers' door knocks, although they did believe at least one person was inside."

Weaver says officers waited for about a half hour and were given access after a resident arrived home.

"Sanchez-Gonzales was hiding in a room, and after a brief struggle, was arrested."

Officers found Sanchez-Gonzales' red 1990 Thunderbird abandoned in a nearby neighborhood several days ago, according to Weaver.

The now-impounded car, along with several citizen calls regarding Sanchez-Gonzales' whereabouts kept officers searching for him over the last two weeks.

Weaver says officers believed he may have traveled to the Portland or Salem areas, or surmised he had left the area altogether.

"Reported sightings and information to police kept coming in, and officers kept looking. Weaver says Sanchez-Gonzales was lodged at the Yamhill County Corrections Facility, McMinnville, on $300,000 bail.

He will be arraigned within the next two or three days in Yamhill County Circuit court.

The case has now been referred to the Yamhill County District Attorney's Office. The case is still under investigation and additional charges may be filed.

The investigators believe the three-year old girl is the only victim. Sanchez-Gonzales was suspected after the girl reported the incident to her mother. He was reportedly renting a room from the mother when the alleged abuse occurred.

A booking photo is not yet available. One may be ready by Tuesday morning.