Nevada County Rape Suspect Arrested In Kings County

PENN VALLEY (CBS13) — A man accused of raping an 18-year-old woman at Western Gateway Park last week was arrested in Kings County, the Nevada County Sheriff's Department announced on Friday.

Grass Valley resident Christopher Smith, 31, was arrested on several outstanding warrants and is being held in the Kings County Jail on $500,000 bail.

The incident happened back on the evening of July 3. According to the sheriff's office, a young Penn Valley woman reported that she had befriended a man at the park earlier in the day, then was sexually assaulted.

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(credit: Nevada County Sheriff's Dept.)

Deputies immediately responded to the park to ensure the woman's safety and to start investigating, identifying Smith as the suspect.

Nevada County authorities said detectives learned Smith was potentially in the Kings County area, south of Fresno, and were assisted by the Kings County Sheriff's Office in locating him.