Man, 39, jailed, charged with raping teenage girl in Encinitas

A man was behind bars Friday on suspicion of kidnapping and raping a 17-year-old girl in a neighborhood near Moonlight State Beach earlier this week, the sheriff's office said.

The 39-year-old man allegedly confronted the teenager Wednesday afternoon as she walked on Third Street near East Street in Encinitas, ordered her to go to a nearby parking lot and forced her to get into a vehicle said Lt. Sheriff's Lon Nguyen issued a press release.

He allegedly sexually assaulted the girl and fled, Nguyen said. The lieutenant said detectives from the department's sexual assault unit “were able to quickly identify the suspect and his vehicle” using automatic license plate readers.

The following day, the San Diego Fugitive Task Force arrested the suspect near University Avenue and Bonillo Drive in San Diego's Rolando neighborhood, investigators said.

He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, rape and forced oral copulation and was being held without bail pending arraignment, possibly Tuesday.