Long Beach police on Saturday arrested a man suspected of talking his way into the home of an elderly woman and sexually assaulting her.
The attack was reported at 10:47 a.m. Friday in the area of Third Street and Temple Avenue in Bluff Heights, according to a Long Beach Police Department bulletin.
The man allegedly told the victim he knew her son to gain entry, then sexually assaulted her, police alleged. The suspect fled in a dark blue or green 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan.
Officers canvassed the area to find witnesses and surveillance video and identified the suspect, police said. They caught up with 42-year-old Long Beach resident Kevin Parks Saturday as he got into his vehicle in the 1300 block of Magnolia Avenue.
Parks was arrested without incident and booked into Long Beach City Jail for suspicion of multiple offenses including rape by force and felon in possession of a firearm, and was being held on $1 million bail.
“The exploitation of our most vulnerable community members is abhorrent,” said Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish. “While I remain troubled and saddened by this reprehensible act, I am thankful for the employees of the Long Beach Police Department and the numerous hours they spent working nonstop to identify and promptly arrest this suspect.”
Police warned residents to always verify the identification of unknown people who come to the door, use a two-way communication or video system and report any suspicious activity.
Anyone with information about Friday’s alleged sexual assault was asked to call LBPD’s sex crimes unit at 562-570-7368.