Man Arrested In DHS Party Sexual Assault

A Palm Desert man suspected of raping a woman who passed out at a party was arrested today.

John Charles Velarde, 23, was located this afternoon and taken into custody without incident, according to Riverside County sheriff’s Capt. Raymond Gregory.

Velarde was booked into the Indio Jail on suspicion of rape. Bail information was not immediately available.

Gregory said the alleged assault happened last Wednesday during an all- night party at a residence in the 55000 block of Rue Motigny Street in Desert Hot Springs.

According to the captain, a 29-year-old woman “became intoxicated and fell asleep in a bedroom,” awakening around 5 a.m. to discover the suspect allegedly sexually assaulting her.

Velarde fled the residence, but sheriff’s investigators were able to identify him based on information provided by partygoers, according to Gregory.